French Montana Coke Boys 4
Thursday, June 30, 2011
-----> BREAKING NEWS NBA Announces Lockout !!!!!!!!!!!!!
NEW YORK -- NBA union chief Billy Hunter said Thursday afternoon that NBA owners are locking out the players after failing to reach a new collective bargaining agreement.
"It's obvious the lockout will happen tonight," he said.
With this latest action, two of four major professional sports in the United States are locked out. The NFL locked out its players in March, and the two sides have been in discussions this week, trying to work toward a new deal.
Despite a three-hour meeting Thursday, the NBA and its players could not close the enormous gap that remained in their positions. The CBA is expected to expire at midnight.
Hunter said the union made a "moderate" new financial proposal, but it wasn't enough to keep the two sides at the bargaining table.
"The gap is too great," Hunter said.
Hunter said the two sides plan to meet again in the next two to three weeks.
"The negotiations ended without a resolution. The NBA informed us they are making a recommendation to their labor relations committee to start a lockout at midnight," union outside counsel Jeffrey Kessler told ESPN's Kelly Naqi. "The players want to continue to play basketball and are very disappointed."
All league business is officially on hold, starting with the free agency period that would have opened Friday, and games eventually could be lost, too. The last lockout reduced the 1998-99 season to just a 50-game schedule, the only time the NBA missed games for a work stoppage.
"We tried to avoid the lockout; unfortunately, we couldn't reach a deal," union executive committee member Matt Bonner said.
The sides remained far apart on just about every major issue, from salaries to the salary cap, revenues to revenue sharing.
Players, who previously offered to reduce their salaries by $500 million over five years, considered the owners' proposal for a "flex" cap, where each team would be targeted to spend $62 million, a hard cap. Although the league said total player compensation would never dip below $2 billion over the life of its proposed 10-year deal, that would amount to a pay cut for the players, who were paid more than $2.1 billion this season in salaries and benefits.
Owners also wanted a reduction in the players' guarantee of 57 percent of basketball revenues.
ESPN senior NBA writer Chris Sheridan and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Amber Rose Tries To Explain Leak Of Nude Pics. Says She's Hurt & Embarrassed
The company that I was working with no longer wants to work with me because of these pics and that prevents me from getting money to take care of my family. Its a messed up situation when someone so evil comes into ur life and tries to destroy it. I know I'm not the only girl in the world that has taken pics like that but they were very private. I'm sorry for letting my young Rosebuds down. Pls understand this was a result of trusting a person that didn't deserve my trust. I have cried for the past 2 days but I know this to shall p#!@%*#. Thank u for all of ur support.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Truman HS football star Isayah Muller fatally stabbed after graduation in brawl, dad charged
BY Bob Kappstatter, Kerry Wills and Joe Kemp
The father of the high school football star slain in a parking lot rumble was charged Wednesday with assault in the fatal fight after his son's graduation. Isayah Muller, 19, was stabbed to death Tuesday after his father fought with parking lot attendants that he accused of stealing a graduation gift from the family car.
Andre Muller, 40, was charged with assault and criminal possession of a weapon, cops said. Investigators continued to question the parking lot employees Wednesday at the 52nd Precinct stationhouse.
The tragic slaying occurred just hours after the younger Muller - a star running back who led Truman High School to a city championship last fall - had graduated. The joyous family had left the commencement at Lehman College around 4 p.m. to head to a celebratory dinner at City Island, cops said.
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Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Monday, June 27, 2011
Jackson "Thriller" jacket sells for $1.8 million
(Reuters) - A leather jacket worn by Michael Jackson for his "Thriller" video sold for $1.8 million at an auction on Sunday to a Texas gold trader who plans to use it to raise money for children's hospitals worldwide.
The black and red calf leather jacket with winged shoulders was one of two used for the shoot. The other one, in scuffed condition, is owned by the Jackson estate.
The one sold by Julien's auction house in Beverly Hills is in better shape and is signed on the sleeve by Jackson. It was designed by Deborah Landis, the wife of "Thriller" director John Landis. Jackson presented it to the vendors, Dennis Tompkins and Michael Bush, his longtime costume designers.
It sold to Milton Verret of Austin, Texas, who showed up in person to triumph over about a dozen bidders from around the world.
"It is one of the most important pieces of rock 'n' roll memorabilia in history," Verret told Reuters. His collection also includes another Jackson jacket and guitars signed by members of U2.
Plans are underway to show the "Thriller" jacket at Dell Children's Hospital in Austin, before sending it around the world to display during charity events. A portion of the auction proceeds will benefit an animal reserve where Jackson's two Bengal tigers reside.
Jackson, who died two years ago on Saturday, filmed the video for the title track to his blockbuster album "Thriller" in 1983. The 14-minute clip, in which Jackson turns into a zombie and dances with other undead types, is considered one of the most influential music videos ever made.
(Reporting by Dean Goodman; Editing by Anthony Boadle)
Saturday, June 25, 2011
B.M.F. Movie Announced
Big Meech & Southwest-T's Story Coming To Big Screen
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Source: HipHopBlog.Com
Central bankers agree on bank capital surcharge plan
(Reuters) - Global banking regulators have agreed on a proposal to slap an extra capital charge on the world's biggest banks to make them safer by 2019.
The Group of Governors and Heads of Supervision (GHOS) said after a meeting in Basel on Saturday the proposal would be put out to public consultation next month.
"The additional loss absorbency requirements are to be met with progressive common equity tier 1 capital requirement ranging from 1 percent to 2.5 percent, depending on a bank's systemic importance," the group said in a statement.
An additional 1 percent surcharge would also be imposed if a bank becomes significantly bigger.
The plans, which need approval from world leaders (G20) in November, would be phased in between January 1 2016 and end of 2018.
The capital surcharge will come on top of the new 7 percent minimum core capital all banks across the world will have to hold under new Basel III rules being phased in from 2013.
It appears the central bankers have opted for a smaller surcharge than foreseen but, in return, the surcharge will have to be in the form of top quality capital, such as retained earnings or common equity.
Banks were hoping they could use hybrid debt such as contingent capital to pad out the surcharge band.
The proposal, which was due to be finalized by last November but faced opposition from banks and some countries, will apply initially to so-called globally systemically important banks (G-SIBs).
"These measures will strengthen the resilience of G-SIBs and create strong incentives for them to reduce their systemic importance over time," the statement said.
There was no indication how many banks will be included.
Banks will face a surcharge according to an indicator that draws on five elements -- size, interconnectedness, lack of substitutability, global (cross-jurisdictional) activity, and complexity.
The group of central bankers and the Basel Committee it oversees said they will continue to review the use of contingent capital.
The central bankers said they would support the use of contingent capital to meet higher national requirements than the global minimum.
However, even then, there would have to be a high-trigger for converting the debt into equity to help absorb losses on a going concern basis, the central bankers said.
(Writing by Huw Jones; Editing by Toby Chopra)
China to remain long-term investor in Europe's debt
(Reuters) - Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said on Saturday he was "still confident" that Europe can overcome the debt crisis and said China would remain a long-term investor in Europe's debt market.
The Chinese Premier spoke at a press conference with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban during a visit to Hungary.
"I have confidence in European economic development," he said. "China is a long-term investor in Europe's sovereign debt market. In recent years we have increased by a quite big margin holdings of euro bonds."
"In the future, as we have done in the past, we will support Europe and the euro," Wen added.
He said China stood willing to help Europe "work for expeditious recovery and stable growth," but did not give exact figures on how much euro zonesovereign debt China might buy.
Wen also said China was willing to buy a "certain amount" of Hungarian government bonds and aims to boost bilateral trade to $20 billion by 2015. He did not specify the amount of Hungarian bonds China would be willing to purchase either.
He said China's state development bank would provide 1 billion euros for development projects between Hungary and China.
The Chinese premier is visiting Europe as the euro zone grapples to contain Greece's worsening debt crisis and possible default which analysts fear could roil global markets and trigger another financial crisis.
China has large holdings of euro-denominated assets in its vast $3.05 trillion foreign reserves and is desperate to do what it can to preserve the value of its holdings, though analysts say the extent to which China may commit fresh funds toward purchasing distressed European debt as a market-calming gesture, will likely be limited.
Wen Jiabao, the first Chinese head of government to visit Hungary for 24 years, is also seeking to explore greater trade ties with the country given its strategic location and increasing role as a logistics and trade processing hub in Eastern Europe for Chinese goods.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said China's buying of Hungarian government bonds would increase the security of debt financing for Hungary in the medium term.
"The purchase of government bonds is also important for Hungary as Hungary is able to finance itself from markets but the fact that China will buy further will bring huge security," Orban said.
While Wen is expected to face a barrage of protests and criticism from governments in Britain andGermany over China's human rights record and its recent clampdown on dissent, the release of prominent activist and artist Ai Weiwei on the eve of Wen's visit could ease some pressure on this front.
The 54-year-old artist Ai was freed on bail on Wednesday, while a batch of Ai's associates and other activists have also been freed since then, marking a climbdown of sorts by Chinese authorities, who have rarely flinched in prosecuting critics of Party rule.
The 27-member EU bloc is now China's largest trading partner with bilateral trade worth nearly 400 billion euros ($573 billion).
(Writing by Krisztina Than and James Pomfret; Editing by Toby Chopra)
"I would never, ever think differently," LaToya said of Michael. "Michael told me that they were going to murder him. He was afraid. He was afraid for his life."
June 25th marks the 2 year anniversary of Michael Jackson, the greatest entertainer the world has ever seen. Recently, Latoya Jackson sat down with Piers Morgan on CNN to discuss her brother and his memory. She still holds strongly to the belief that Michael was murdered.
"I would never, ever think differently," LaToya said of Michael. "Michael told me that they were going to murder him. He was afraid. He was afraid for his life."
Michael's physician, Dr. Conrad Murray, is still awaiting his day in court for the charge of involuntary manslaughter.
source: smokingsection.uproxx.com
Scantily dressed visitors must cover up to see Rikers inmates
(Reuters) - Skimpily dressed visitors at Rikers Island, New York City's main jail complex, are allowed to see inmates only if they agree to cover up with an oversized, baggy, green t-shirt as part of an updated dress code intended to maintain a "family friendly" environment.
The city's Department of Corrections has purchased some 750 t-shirts in a distinctive, easy-to-track shade of bright green, and size XXL, large enough to be shapeless on all but the heaviest frames.
"We are trying to keep this a G-rated experience," Sharman Stein, a spokeswoman for the department, said in a telephone interview on Tuesday. "If a visitor is dressed provocatively it could potentially spark a chain of events among inmates."
Prison officials hope to reduce the possibility of inmates making comments about other inmates' visitors' appearance -- be they derogatory or a little too appreciative -- that could lead to flared tempers and even violence.
The rules also deal with the opposite concern: too much clothing, which might be used to conceal contraband.
The visitor dress code forbids clothes that expose the chest, stomach or back. Hemlines must be no more than three inches above the knee. Spandex leggings are frowned upon, as are swimsuits. A visitor's clothes should not be transparent. Hat or head coverings may be worn only if a visitor's religion demands it.
Previously, visitors who fell short of the code would simply be denied their visit. Now they will be offered the option of shrouding themselves in one of the t-shirts and thereby avoiding the frustration of a wasted journey to the prison complex, which sits on an island off the shore of the Bronx, the city's northernmost borough.
"It's a compromise," Stein said.
(Editing by Barbara Goldberg and Jerry Norton)
Madoff trustee triples JPMorgan suit to $19 billion
(Reuters) - The trustee seeking money for Bernard Madoff's victims is now demanding $19 billion in damages from JPMorgan Chase & Co, more than tripling what he hopes to recover from what had been the main bank for the now-imprisoned Ponzi schemer.
The amended complaint by the trustee Irving Picard adds new charges and was filed three days after the second-largest U.S. bank agreed to pay $153.6 million to settle U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission fraud charges.
Picard maintained that JPMorgan was "thoroughly complicit" in Madoff's fraud and ignored red flags. In his original complaint, made public in February, he had sought $6.4 billion, including $5.4 billion of damages and $1 billion for fraudulent transfers and claims.
"JPMorgan Chase chose to enable Madoff's fraud, not just through the various ways it participated in its activity, but by helping to cover Madoff's naked theft with the imprimatur of a globally recognized financial institution," the 155-page amended complaint said.
The higher damage request reflects "life-to-date damages," or what the trustee considers the minimum losses over the entirety of Madoff's Ponzi scheme.
Picard is also seeking at least $500 million that JPMorgan made "off the backs of Madoff's victims," and more than $400 million of alleged fraudulent transfers.
Tasha Pelio, a JPMorgan spokeswoman, repeated in an email the bank's earlier statement that Picard's lawsuit is meritless and distorts the facts and law.
"JPMorgan did not know about or in any way become a party to the fraud orchestrated by Bernard Madoff," she said. "At all times, JPMorgan complied fully with all laws and regulations governing bank accounts."
Picard has filed roughly 1,050 lawsuits seeking more than $100 billion for former investors at Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC.
"BEFORE THEIR VERY EYES"
Friday, June 24, 2011
Bakery Brad "Lost In The Trap "Loud Musik Ent/M.D.E/So Icy North
Loud Musik Ent/M.D.E/So Icy North Presents Bakery Brad "Lost In The Trap " Hosted By , follow us On Twitter @D_DProductions , @BakeryBrad , @Frenchie1017 @DJRansomDollars
Theories On Whats Going On With J.Cole's Career?
JumpOff.TV's Friday Hip Hop Report Lounge discuss J.Cole's career, why hasn't he blown yet, his latest song "Work Out and the entire strategy behind his marketing.
Al Capone revolver sells for $110,000 at auction
(Reuters) - A revolver belonging to notorious American gangster Al Capone fetched 67,250 pounds ($110,000) at a London auction at Christie's on Wednesday. It had been expected to sell for 50-70,000 pounds.
The Colt .38 revolver was sold by a private collector, who provided an original personal letter from Madeleine Capone Morichetti, the widow of Al's brother Ralph Capone, confirming that the gun "previously belonged to and was only used by Al Capone while he was alive."
Colt records indicate that the pistol was made in May, 1929, just a few months after the famous Valentine's Day massacre in Chicago when seven people were killed in a prohibition-era clash between gangs including Capone's.
The successful buyer, who remained anonymous, was an online bidder.
(Reporting by Mike Collett-White, editing by Paul Casciato)
Article: Asteroid to Pass Extremely Close By Earth On Monday
Here's something to dwell on as you head to work on Monday morning: A small asteroid the size of a tour bus will make an extremely close pass by the Earth at about that time, but it poses no threat to the planet.
Trajectory of asteroid 2011 MD during its June 27, 2011 flyby from the general direction of the sun.
CREDIT: NASA
CREDIT: NASA
The asteroid will make its closest approach at 9:26 a.m. EDT (1326 GMT) on June 27 and will pass just over 7,500 miles (12,000 kilometers) above the Earth's surface, NASA officials say. At that particular moment, the asteroid — which scientists have named 2011 MD — will be sailing high off the coast of Antarctica, almost 2,000 miles (3,218 km) south-southwest of South Africa.
Asteroid 2011 MD was discovered Wednesday (June 22) by LINEAR, a pair of robotic telescopes in New Mexico that scan the skies for near-Earth asteroids. The best estimates suggest that this asteroid is between 29 to 98 feet (9 to 30 meters) wide.
READ MORE HERE : http://www.space.com/12067-asteroid-2011-md-close-earth-flyby-june-27.html
READ MORE HERE : http://www.space.com/12067-asteroid-2011-md-close-earth-flyby-june-27.html
THE GOOD MONEY GIVEAWAYS
DRAKE BLASTS UNIVERSAL MOTOWN, "STOP TAKING MY F*CKING SONGS DOWN"
Chris Brown & Odd Future Dead Beef Via Twitter
The two camps have been going at each other for the last several weeks culminating in a confrontation on the streets of L.A. yesterday when Odd Future singer Frank Ocean was confronted two of Brown's cousins.
No violence popped off, but the situation was obviously escalating leading Chris to reach out toOFWGKTA's Tyler The Creator to put the nonsense to bed.
No violence popped off, but the situation was obviously escalating leading Chris to reach out toOFWGKTA's Tyler The Creator to put the nonsense to bed.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Leaked Mary J. Blige Nicki Minaj Song 'Feel Inside' Is Not Official
A source close to Mary J. Blige's camp has informed Billboard that "Feel Inside" is not a true Mary J. Blige and Nicki Minaj collaboration. The song that leakedonline late last night is a studio mashup of two completely different in-progress tracks the divas are working on separately. The source confirmed that Mary and Nicki are indeed working on a song together this just ain't it.
Buju Banton gets 10 years in prison for drug deal
(AP Photo/Yesikka Vivancos, File)
TAMPA, Florida (AP) -- Grammy-winning reggae star Buju Banton has been sentenced to 10 years in prison, followed by 5 years of probation, for his role in a cocaine deal.
The 37-year-old Jamaican recording artist was sentenced in Tampa federal court Thursday morning. A jury convicted him in February of conspiring to set up a cocaine deal in 2009.
His attorney, David Markus, had asked U.S. District Judge James S. Moody for leniency. He contended that Banton's limited participation in the drug buy, his charitable work in Jamaica and otherwise clean record were worth a reduced sentence.
Just before his conviction, Banton -- whose legal name is Mark Myrie -- won a Grammy for best reggae album for his work entitled "Before the Dawn."
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press
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