01-07-09 EUR: Burris Rejected By The Senate / Big's Story Comes To The Big Screen

EUR Headlines - January 7, 2009

BURRIS REJECTED BY SENATE, BOMBARDED BY MEDIA: Circus atmosphere greets Blago's replacement for Obama's senate seat.
*Roland Burris was nearly run over by the media outside of Capitol Hill Tuesday when he showed up as Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich's pick to replace Barack Obama in the U.S. Senate, and was promptly rejected – as expected. Read Full Story

LIL WAYNE'S 'CARTER III' IS 2008'S TOP SELLER: T.I.'s 'Paper Trail,' Beyonce's 'Sasha Fierce' also in year-end top ten.
*Rapper Lil Wayne's latest CD, "Tha Carter III," sold almost 3 million copies last year to become 2008's best-selling album. Read Full Story

BIG'S STORY COMES TO THE BIG SCREEN: Naturi Naughton and Antonique Smith play Lil’ Kim and Faith Evans.
The film "Notorious" also features the likes of Angeles Bassett, who stars as Biggie’s mom Voletta Wallace and Derek Luke, who plays Sean “Puffy” Combs, plus newcomer Jamal Woolard as Biggie. Also making the cast are Naturi Naughton as Lil’ Kim and Antonique Smith as Faith Evans. Read Full Story

OFFICER SHOOTS UNARMED MAN IN THE BACK: Incident captured on video; victim was a 22-year-old African American male.
*A BART police officer, struggling to handcuff a 22-year-old man, stood over him as he lay face down and fired a single shot into his back while a handful of officers watched, according to video taken by a train passenger. Read Full Story

LATIFAH TO CONTINUE JENNY CRAIG GIG: Artist will keep plugging product through 2009.
*Weight loss chain Jenny Craig has announced that Queen Latifah will continue on in her role as a spokeswoman through 2009, reports People.com. Read Full Story

JIM JONES TICKETED FOR NE-YO-RELATED BRAWL: Rapper due back in court next month over clash in Louis Vuitton store.
*Rapper Jim Jones was issued a Desk Appearance Ticket in lieu of jail time for a misdemeanor assault charge stemming from a fight last month with a member of Ne-Yo's entourage, reports MTV.com. Read Full Story

BIANCA/BLONSKY BRAWL CASE DROPPED: Assault charges dismissed for 'Top Model' and 'Hairspray' stars, but Blonsky's dad not so lucky.
*Assault charges have been dropped for both "America's Next Top Model" veteran Bianca Golden and "Hairspray" star Nikki Blonsky stemming from an airport brawl last summer in Turks and Caicos, according to reports. Read Full Story

'CHA CHA SLIDE' STOMPS INTO A LAWSUIT: Song's creator DJ Casper sues two parties over copyright and publishing issues.
*DJ Casper, the man behind the 2003 hit "Cha Cha Slide," filed a lawsuit against several parties over copyright and publishing rights to the dance floor favorite. Read Full Story

NEW AT 'EUR THIS N THAT' BLOG: Bush Gives Obama Middle Finger On Housing
As we move forward in this new year, in anticipation of a new president, we're bringing you something new as well. Presenting the EURthisNthat blog. Read Full Story

JAMIE FOXX GIVES CLUBGOERS A DOUBLE TAKE: Jamie Foxx, Joaquin Phoenix and Casey Affleck walk into a bar…
*Jamie Foxx and actor Joaquin Phoenix reportedly acted a fool – twice – at Miami Beach hot spot LIV last week while filming some sort of documentary for the brother of Ben Affleck. Read Full Story

CHARGES DROPPED AGAINST JEFFREY WRIGHT: Prosecutors agree to dismiss case against actor and his "W" co-star Josh Brolin.
*An attorney for "W" actors Jeffrey Wright and Josh Brolin says prosecutors have agreed to drop all charges stemming from a bar room brawl last year in Louisiana. Read Full Story

RIHANNA TO COVER UP FOR MALAYSIA GIG: Artist says she'll ditch usual skimpy costumes out of respect for local rule.
*Pop star Rihanna says she will abide by the strict dress codes of Malaysia and keep herself covered when she performs in the capital next month, the concert's organizers said Tuesday. Read Full Story

T.I. ACCUSED OF IGNORING $8,000 LAWYER BILL: Jail-bound rapper was due in court Tuesday to address the matter.
*T.I. was due in an Atlanta courtrooom Tuesday over an unpaid attorney bill stemming from a child custody case, reports the Associated Press. Read Full Story

BAILEY BROADCASTING'S NEW OBAMA RADIO SPECIAL: 'Hail The Chief, The Dream Comes To Life' ready for Inaugration Day
*Not since we produced the iconic, award-winning "King: From Atlanta to the Mountaintop" have we been more excited about bringing an educational and entertaining bio Read Full Story

OPRAH ADDRESSES FAKE MEMOIR ON WEBSITE: Plus, talk show host gets candid about weight gain during 'best life week.'
*While Oprah Winfrey has yet to comment on Herman Rosenblat and his false story of meeting his future wife in a Nazi concentration camp, a brief disclaimer was posted to her Web site, which still devotes substantial space to the Rosenblat romance. Read Full Story

VICK AMENDS CHAPTER 11 REORGANIZATION: Jailed quarterback revises plan in hopes of quick NFL return.
*Michael Vick's lawyers have proposed a revised bankruptcy plan in hopes of speeding up a possible return to professional football following his prison sentence. Read Full Story

NUGGETS GUARD FACING TRAFFIC CHARGES: J.R. Smith due to appear in Jersey court stemming from fatal car crash.
*Denver Nuggets guard J.R. Smith will face a judge in New Jersey next week to face traffic summonses stemming from a car crash that killed a friend in 2007, reports the Associated Press. Read Full Story

EUR DVD REVIEW: Bangkok Dangerous
By Kam Williams
*When you pair Nicolas Cage with the Pang Brothers, something’s gotta give. While the Oscar-winning actor is ordinarily associated with high-quality Hollywood productions, the Thailand-based twins are generally known as purveyors of micro-budget B-movies lacking in plausibility and coherency. Read Full Story

WILLIAMS SISTERS' ACADEMY BEGINS NEW SESSION: Tennis venue in LA offers classes through Feb. 18.
*The Venus and Serena Williams Tennis Academy located at the Arthur Ashe Tennis Center of L.A. has announced it will begin its next eight-week ,Wednesday night adult group tennis classes tonight (Jan. 7). Read Full Story

ANTOINE WALKER ARRESTED ON DUI SUSPICION: Former NBA player arrested following traffic stop in Miami Beach.
*Former NBA player Antoine Walker was charged with suspicion of drunk driving in Miami Beach early Monday after being pulled over by the cops. Read Full Story

'YOUTH BALL' ADDED TO INAUGURATION NIGHT: Committee says event will be held specifically for ages 18-35.
*The Presidential Inaugural Committee said Tuesday that a "Youth Ball" will be added to the parties planned for Jan. 20 following the inauguration of Barack Obama. Read Full Story

ITTY BITTY BITS: Dule Hill in Kia spots; B.B. King to be honored; Kurupt's new label; Spike's 'not rich'; Vincent Jackson arrested.
*Actor Dule Hill will appear with his "Psych" co-star James Roday in a new 30-second spot for Kia Motors, reports Variety. Read Full Story

THE EURweb FREE-4-ALL PAGE/BOARD: Talk about the stories we didn't cover in this issue.
Just like the headline says, this page/board is where you can discuss the stuff that we didn't cover in today's issue. (It's sort of like feedback with a twist) Remember, NO name calling, racial taunting, graphic sex talk and vulgarity in general, PLEASE. Read Full Story