The pop music world was stunned Thursday by the death of Donna Summer, the  original “Disco Queen” who over four decades proved that she and her music were  stars, not fads.

She was 63 and reportedly had been suffering from lung cancer, although she  had continued performing until recently.

“Her records sound as good today as they ever did. That she has never been  inducted into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame is a total disgrace especially when  I see the second-rate talent that has been inducted,” he said. “She is a great  friend to me and to the Elton John AIDS Foundation and I will miss her greatly.”

Summer had a string of worldwide hits in the late 1970s, including “I Feel  Love,” “Hot Stuff,” “Bad Girls,” “On the Radio, “MacArthur Park,” “No More  Tears” and “Last Dance.. Read More

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The pulpits of the nation’s black churches took measure Sunday of President Obama‘s decision to support gay marriage, and the result was conflicted.

Some churches were silent on the issue. At others, pastors spoke against the president’s decision Wednesday — but kindly of the man himself. A few blasted the president and his decision. A minority spoke in favor of the decision and expressed understanding of the president’s change of heart.

Bishop Timothy J. Clark, head of the First Church of God, a large African-American church with a television ministry in Columbus, Ohio, was perhaps most typical. He felt compelled to address the president’s comments at a Wednesday evening service and again Sunday morning. He was responding to an outpouring of calls, e-mails and text messages from members of his congregation after the president’s remarks… Read More

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Chaka Khan is revealing the results of an exercise and diet regimen that’s left her 60 pounds lighter. The 10-time Grammy Award winner was spotted at the Kennedy Center spring gala on Sunday, May 6, raising money for arts education alongside David Foster.

Also on hand was singer Jewel and Peter Cincotti, along with trumpeter Chris Botti, violinist Caroline Campbell and soprano Angel Blue. Khan reportedly stole the show with her slim and trim figure and incomparable vocals as she ran through her hits “Through the Fire,” “I’m Every Woman” and the newly penned “The Promise That We Make.”… Read More

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Grammy Award-winning and multi-platinum selling recording artist Mary J Blige will sing the National Anthem prior to the 138th running of the $2 million Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands on Saturday, May 5 at Churchill Downs.

A native of New York City, Blige, who has been dubbed the “Queen of Hip Hop Soul,” will sing “The Star-Spangled Banner” around 5:10 p.m. ET following the running of the Woodford Reserve Turf Classic, the race that precedes the Kentucky Derby. The performance will be carried live on NBC’s coverage of Kentucky Derby 138 which airs 4-7 p.m. ET…. Read More

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Knowing the 2012 Kentucky Derby date and time is important — but what if you need to know a little bit more than that?

After all, you will also need to know when it will be on television and what to do if the Kentucky Derby is canceled or delayed. There are also a few fun facts related to the history and the time that you will not want to miss out on as a horseracing fan.

What time and date is the 2012 Kentucky Derby?

The Kentucky Derby 138 is set to begin on the first Saturday in May. This means that this year it will fall on May 5, 2012. The gates of Churchill Downs will open at 8 a.m. E.S.T. in Louisville, Kent. However, the Kentucky Derby does not begin in the morning. Instead, the afternoon is filled with activities such as; eating at the specially prepared buffet and being entertained.

Around 4 p.m., the red carpet is rolled out and celebrities walk in. At the KentuckyDerby.com website, it says the action begins between 5 – 7 p.m. Regardless, the information posted at the website also says that there is a disclaimer for the statement, “Kentucky Derby 138 post time 6:24 p.m. ET.”… Read More

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Who got Whitney Houston started using drugs? Bobby Brown says it wasn’t him, thank you very much. Houston’s drug use started “way before” he entered the picture, he told Matt Lauer in an interview that will air this week on the “Today” show.

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“I didn’t get high [on narcotics] before I met Whitney,” Brown said. “I smoked weed, I drank the beer, but no, I wasn’t the one that got Whitney on drugs at all.”

He said that watching the reality show they did together in 2005, “Being Bobby Brown,” was enlightening. “We was able to see that our drug use had affected our relationship, had affected the love that we felt for each other.” The couple, who got together at the start of the ’90s, split in 2006 and finalized their divorce in 2007… Read More

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One World Trade Center, the unfinished skyscraper where the Twin Towers once  stood, became the tallest building in New York City this afternoon.

Still under construction more than a decade after the Sept. 11 attacks, the  building’s skeleton surpassed the Empire State Building’s 1,250-foot-high  observation deck, reaching 1,271 feet with the addition of a few steel  columns.

The Freedom Tower will eventually measure 1,776 feet, including a  408-foot-tall needle that will be attached to the roof.

“The latest progress at the World Trade Center is a testament to New Yorkers’  strength and resolve, and to our belief in a city that is always reaching  upward,” New York City Mayor… Read More

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Diving into campaign mode full-bore, President Barack Obama will headline his first re-election rallies next month, marking an important turning point in the race for the White House.

The president will hit the campaign trail in back-to-back rallies May 5 in Ohio and Virginia, an Obama campaign official said Wednesday. Obama carried both battleground states in the 2008 election and will likely need to win there again in November if he wants to hold on to his job.

Michelle Obama, the popular first lady, was to join the president at the rallies, which will be held on the campuses of Ohio State University in Columbus and Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, the official said… Read More

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Cincinnati’s summer concert season is starting to take shape. Big name stars already booked for the season include Drake, Lil Kim, Wocka Flocka, Meek Mill, Wiz Khalifa, and many others… Here is a preliminary rundown..

A Revamped Drake’s Club Paradise tour hits Cincinnati in a midweek explosion. Drake has tweaked the lineup to include Wocka Flocka, Meek Mill and J Cole. The tour will hit Cincinnati’s  Riverbend Music Center Wed, Jun 6 – 7:00 PM (doors open @ 5:30 PM) Click here for ticket information.. Tickets are on sale now….

Wiz Khalifa will be bringing Mac Miller and others to Riverbend towards the end of July.. Both Wiz Kahlifa and Mac Miller have tremendous live followings. Wiz Khalifa has performed over 350 shows since the beginning of 2010 with major tours including “Deal or No Deal,” “Campus Consciousness” and last summer’s 45 date sell-out the “Rolling Papers Tour.” He has also played at more than 50 Universities and Colleges over the past 14 months. Major Festival appearances include: Bonnaroo, Coachella, Bamboozle, Bumbershoot, Rock The Bells, Summer Camp, Soundset and more… For ticket information click here..

Lil Kim will bring her “Return Of The Queen” tour to Cincinnati… Here is the promo from livenation.

Return of the Queen Tour Featuring Lil Kim, 10 p.m.,  on June 1,   Bogart’s 2621 Vine St.,  Corryville.   Kimberly Denise Jones, known by her stage  name Lil’ Kim, is a rapper and actress who was a member of the group  Junior M.A.F.I.A. Ages 21 and up. $39.36. 800-745-3000;  www.livenation.com… Click here for more information.. Other tour dates on Lil Kim’s tour include:

Lil Kim’s US tour dates are as follows:

• May 11 – Austin Emo’s
• May 13 – Pensacola Vinyl Music Hall
• May 18 – New York Paradise Theater
• May 19 – New York Northern Lights
• May 20 – Philadelphia Club Onyx
• May 22 – Burlington Higher Ground
• May 25 – Markham Adrianna’s Night Club
• May 27 – Milwaukee Riverside Theatre
• June 1 – Cincinnati Bogart’s
• June 11 – San Francisco Mezzanine
• June 13 – West Hollywood Key Club

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Story By Michael Goins

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No to low play
A large number of Buckeyes were not able to play today while recovering from various ailments, surgeries and injuries, including SAF C.J. Barnett, SAF Christian Bryant, DL Se’Von Pittman, SAF Zach Domicone, WR Evan Spencer, FB Darryl Wood, DL Kenny Hayes, WR Verlon Reed, LB Curtis Grant, LB Storm Klein, TE Jeff Heuerman, OL Jacoby Boren, DL Nathan Williams, DL Johnathan Hankins and SAF Jamie Wood.

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Former Bad Boy rapper G. Dep was convicted today of a two-decade old murder  — a cold case East Harlem shooting that was only solved when he walked into a  precinct two years ago, turning himself in so he could square himself with  God.

The 37-year-old father of three now faces the mandatory minimum sentence for  murder — 15 years prison.

“I told him to not regret his decision and that God won’t abandon him,”  defense lawyer Anthony Ricco said, when asked by reporters to relay what he’d  told the rapper as the two men hugged at the defense table, moments after the  afternoon verdict.

“Trevell Coleman is a very courageous person,” the lawyer added, using the  rapper’s given name. “He has a conscience and a heart and his conscience and his  heart brought him to where he is today.”

Coleman’s confession had been so bizarre, so startling, that cops at first  didn’t believe him. At at around age 18, he told them, he’d bought a .40 caliber  pistol, and, looking for some easy money one pre-dawn October morning, he’d  tried to mug a stranger who’d been standing alone at the corner of Park Avenue  and 114th St… Read More

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A Secret Service agent shamed the United States after a wild night of babes  and booze that ended in an argument with a Colombian hooker over as little as  $47.

One of 11 elite agents assigned to ensure President Obama’s protection at a  summit meeting in Cartagena, Colombia, was busted after his lady of the evening  refused to leave his hotel room in the morning without her fee.

20 US AGENTS COULD BE INVOLVED IN COLOMBIAN HOOKER SCANDAL

That woman was one of 11 hookers hired by the agents — and the only one who  hadn’t left Cartagena’s swank Hotel Caribe, where White House staffers, members  of the press and dignitaries are staying during the Summit of the Americas  meeting, sources said.

The confrontation occurred early last week, said Rep. Pete King, a Long  Island Republican who was briefed on the incident yesterday.

One of the agents sent home after agency bosses in DC learned what was going  on was “in a supervisory role,” said King, chairman of the House Homeland  Security Committee… Read More

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Is Samantha Prahalis the best women’s basketball player of all time at Ohio State? Was Muhammad Ali the best heavyweight boxer? These are questions we just can’t answer. One question we can answer. Which Ohio State women’s basketball player has had the most impact on the program in it’s history? The answer to that question is easy, Samantha Prahalis. There is a star women’s basketball player at Baylor named Brittney Griner that has turned heads in her collerge career because she does things that female basketball players aren’t supposed to be able to do. Women dunking, what next?

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COLUMBUS, Ohio

– Inclement weather forced Ohio State facilities and operations personnel to move Saturday’s student-centered practice indoors, but that didn’t dampen the crowd or the enthusiasm. Approximately 3,100 students and staff showed up for a hard hitting, two-hour practice that was full of ooohs and aaahs and included a live field goal drill with hundreds of fans on the field surrounding the action.

Coach Urban Meyer wanted to bring the students closer to his team, and his team closer to students, and consider that effort a smashing success.

“I see a ton of students here,” Markus Sievers, a senior and All-American swimmer from Hamburg, Germany by way of Martins Ferry, Ohio, said. “It’s always good to be able to see the inside of other programs. I’ve always wanted to see the team’s locker room at Ohio Stadium, and I got to do that.”

Tours at Ohio Stadium, a part of the originally scheduled day, still took place and approximately 2,000 individuals took part in tours of the stadium, locker room and press box areas.

But clearly, having a chance to watch the Buckeyes practice, and then to be able to spend 30 minutes after practice mingling with them and having a huge group photo taken, was the highlight of the day…for the students and the players.

“We feel so much closer to the players now,” senior strategic communications major Raquel Aquado said. “It just seems that now the players are much more approachable.”

Quarterback Braxton Miller said the students were into the action.

“I loved it,” Miller said after practice. “And the students loved it. They were involved. Every time you looked at the crowd their eyes were just focused on the play. And then every time coach asked them to do something, like move up, they did it. It was a lot of fun.”

Field goals over students
Late in the practice the field goal team kicked field goals over the students, who were sitting across the 20 yard line and 10-deep in some places. As the field goal distances got shorter and shorter and the players started backing up into the crowd, Meyer motioned the displaced crowd to gather around and kicker Drew Basil then had about a half dozen attempts with a ring of hundreds of students surrounding him and the other players. He made four of six, with one blocked and another wide right.

Finest moment in football practice history…perhaps?
Once Meyer motioned for the students to gather around his field goal teams, every student by this time was ignoring the no camera rule and dozens of cell phones and cameras were raised into the air and judging by the energy and charge in the crowd, the moment will go down as, perhaps, the finest fan-based moment in Ohio State football practice history.

It’s ok to cheer for the defense
With most of the crowds roar ensuing after big plays by the offense, strength and conditioning assistant Anthony Schlegel, a former standout Buckeye linebacker, let the fans know the defense was making plays, too.

“You are allowed to cheer for the defense,” Schlegel said somewhat seriously but with a smile. “It’s ok, you know, to cheer for the defense.”

Biggest cheers of the day were heard after Braxton Miller connected with Devin Smith on a 45-yard touchdown pass; when Bri’onte Dunn took a pitch from Kenny Guiton around left end for a 62-yard score; and when Miller hit Smith for a 25-yard gain down the left sideline. The defense did feel the crowd’s appreciation when Orhian Johnson intercepted a tipped Miller pass.

More notes from a big day on campus
At one point when the crowd started chanting and clapping “UrbanMeyer… UrbanMeyer… UrbanMeyer.” … Think about it: Ohio State had 3,100 fans show up for a practice that had a change-of-venue within an hour of its start. … The crowd didn’t seem to mind watching indoors. Most had never been inside of the Woody Hayes Athletic Center and they were much closer to the players during practice. … Big Johnathan Hankins gets the credit for the blocked field goal attempt. … Former Buckeyes in attendance included Archie Griffin, Jerry Rudzinski, Joey Galloway, Jim Harrell and Dave Adkins. … Receivers Devin Smith and Evan Spencer met with the media following practice, as did receivers coach Zach Smith and kicker Drew Basil. A notes and quotes from their sessions:



Spencer said he has a broken bone in his shoulder but that he hopes to be back working out in about two weeks.

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Both Devin Smith and Spencer said they use Coach Meyer’s comments about the need to find a “wow” player at receiver as “motivation.”

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Spencer on the receivers as a group: “I think the receiver group will be dangerous this year.”

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Devin Smith talked about the offensive learning curve: “At first [learning] the new offense was tough. They threw a lot at us, but we’re starting to do fine. We keep working hard every day to try and get better.”

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Devin Smith on his goals this year: “I want to make plays.”

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Zach Smith on pressure: “Pressure is a positive. It brings out the best in our players. Pressure is an extremely positive thing for my group. Everyone knows the pressure is on them. They know. They’ll develop from this.”



Zach Smith on expectations: “Expectations for the receivers are extremely high. The receiver group needs to make plays. It is expected to make plays. It will happen.”

###OhioStateBuckeyes.com###

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High Jump:

Senior

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Senior leaders are putting the final touches on 17 grooming regulation changes that cover everything from tattoos and makeup to cellphones and civilian attire. And soldiers will likely face punishment under the Uniform Code of Military Justice if they fail to get squared away.

The pending changes include:

• Shorter sideburns.

• Soldiers must be clean shaven on and off duty, even during leave.

• Women will be allowed to put hair into ponytails during physical training.

• Men will be prohibited from wearing cosmetics, to include nail polish.

• Women may wear cosmetics “conservatively.” That means no unnatural or exaggerated appearance, and no more fake eyelashes. Nail polish will only be worn in service, mess or dress uniforms… Read More

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A Runway Explosion occurred At Valley Dale here in Columbus last week. Amidst a severe weather outbreak, Tornado Warning and a confirmed tornado touchdown, the Valley Dale was a festive environment with a fashion show in full swing…

Runway Explosion was in full swing and a packed house was on hand to see the designs of local designers such as Cream Couture, Die’Va, Elegance by Rose,  Akira Takashi, House of Baboski, and many more.  We’ve got all the photos

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Electronics behemoth Sony, battling years of profit losses, on Thursday said it will slash 10,000 jobs and slim down its far-flung TV line in an effort to right its ailing business.

Sony’s massive overhaul comes two days after the electronics maker forecast a more than twofold increase in losses, from $2.7 billion to $6.4 billion, than previously projected for fiscal 2011.

Newly minted CEO and President Kazuo Hirai held a press conference in Tokyo, where he outlined a turnaround strategy aimed at putting Sony on a path to profitability. “Now is the time for Sony to change,” Hirai said. “Everyone at Sony is standing together to make this happen.”.. Read More

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More than six weeks after he admittedly shot and killed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, George Zimmerman made his first appearance Thursday in a Sanford, Fla., court, where he faced charges of second-degree murder.

With that appearance, what is sure to be one of the most controversial and closely watched trials in recent memory essentially got underway.

Many are already comparing it to the trial of O.J. Simpson, a racially divisive media-circus that left many questioning whether justice had been served. Is history doomed to repeat itself?… Read More

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The hip-hop star, who has suffered two seizures over the last six months, was scheduled to headline the Easter Fest Rozay at the Guyana National Stadium on Monday… Read More

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It’s a cultural phenomenon for radio hosts to dissect and movies to document, but for Artisha Lawson the statistics are dreary and the message is staggering: black women are the least likely group of people to get married. “It’s scary, because I want to share my life with someone,” said Ms. Lawson, of Toledo. “I’m looking for a life partner. A friend, someone to grow old with.”

For many women like Ms. Lawson — black, educated, and successful– the dream of marriage might remain just that: a dream.

In a culture where the black male middle-class population is steadily shrinking, for African-American middle-class women, finding a mate — a black mate in particular, who can match their education level and professional status — is difficult.

“According to my 10-year plan, I should be married with two kids,” said Ms. Lawson, 29. “I want someone… Read More

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Rosie O’Donnell‘s talk show — produced at Oprah’s old TV home, Chicago’s Harpo Studios, for Winfrey’s new TV home, the California-based OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network — has been canceled, the cable channel announced Friday.

The final new episode, to be taped Tuesday on the eve of O’Donnell’s 50th birthday, is set to run March 30.
Winfrey, in a statement, called O’Donnell “an incredible partner” and thanked her for “joining me on this journey.”

Since OWN was launched last year by Winfrey and 50-50 partner Discovery Communications, it has struggled to match expectations buoyed largely by Winfrey’s phenomenal success as host of a long-running Chicago-based syndicated TV show….. Read More

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What should you read this weekend? USA TODAY’s picks for book lovers include an electrifying biography of the Godfather of Soul, a fine new novel by Carol Anshaw, and a fresh take on the ancient tale of Achilles.

James Brown was never a big man, but even as a troubled young man growing up in poverty, he was larger than life. RJ Smith’s new biography, The One, tells the fascinating life story of the iconic soul singer who could whip audiences into a sweat-drenched frenzy with his primal screams and sensational dance moves.

Drawing on more than 100 interviews and digging out the truth behind the legends surrounding Brown, The One draws a portrait of a “musical genius who became a cultural icon and a lightning rod for controversy.”.. Read More

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CAN Propranolol, a beta blocker, prevents/ cure racism? In tests, those given the drug scored lower when tested for “implicit” racist prejudices and fears. The Telegraph reports:

Scientists believe the discovery can be explained by the fact that racism is fundamentally founded on fear.

Propranolol acts both on nerve circuits that govern automatic functions such as heart rate, and the part of the brain involved in fear and emotional responses. The drug is also used to treat anxiety and panic.

Experimental psychologist Dr Sylvia Terbeck, from Oxford University, who led the study published in the journal Psychopharmacology, said: “Our results offer new evidence about the processes in the brain that shape implicit racial bias. Implicit racial bias can occur even in people with a sincere belief in equality. Given the key role that such implicit attitudes appear to play in discrimination against other ethnic groups, and the widespread use of propranolol for medical purposes, our findings are also of considerable ethical interest.”… Read More

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No word on what their brackets look like, but President Barack Obama and United Kingdom Prime Minister David Cameron will be in Dayton March 13 for a first-round game of the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship First Four…. Read More

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On Saturday I decided to hit up a belly dancing Zumba class to supplement my new workout routine, which I’ve started about a month ago. I’m trying to keep to my New Year’s resolution of losing a couple of pounds, okay 20 pounds, and getting fit and healthy. Anyway, I’m in class, which was held in the top room of a day care center, sweating through a funky mix of Afro-Brazilian beats, Soca music, Whitney Houston and Beyoncé tracks when several things stuck out in my mind:

First, who says that Black women don’t work out? The class I was in was filled to capacity with women of varying hues of the brown scale and sizes.

Oh and yes, big women work out too. It may be hard for some to believe but Black women can carry more weight than what is acceptable by body mass index and still be considered healthy. In fact, our instructor, who was a heavy-set brown skinned woman with huge hips, thighs and an even bigger derriere, worked through the routine like it was nothing while the rest of us grunted and gasped to catch our collective breaths.  Which brings me to my final somewhat random but thought-provoking observation: not every Black woman has a big butt…. Read More

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It’s possible to be plus-size and healthy, and a recent poll on African American women from the Washington Post and the Kaiser Family Foundation is proving that there’s more than one form of healthiness.

Although black women polled in the survey were heavier than their white counterparts, their self-esteem was notably higher. About 66 percent of black women who were considered overweight or obese by government standards had high self-esteem, compared with just 41 percent of average-size or thin white women, which is a major plus for mental health.