Breaking News: The U.S. Senate has passed its health care reform bill

The U.S. Senate has passed its version of a health care reform bill this morning.  The U.S. House of Representatives has already passed theirs.  Now all that remains is to reconcile the two versions for the final push.  The Senate voted 60-39 along party lines (with Democrats voting for the measure) to pass the controversial bill.  The measure will now go to a conference committee.  Democratic lawmakers hope for President Obama's signature before the State of the Union address in January.  Republican lawmakers contend parts of the bill are unconstitutional and were achieved through backroom buyoffs.  Aren't most political deals negotiated this way?

Breaking News: That's way harsh Tai!

Actress Brittany Murphy is dead at age 32. The actress was found by her mother collapsed in the shower. When paramedics arrived, they determined she was in full cardiac arrest and began administering CPR. She was pronounced dead upon arrival at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California. Murphy is best known for her roles in the movies 8 Mile, Girl, Interrupted, and Happy Feet. I think her acting shone through best in her role as Tai in Clueless and as the title character in the obscure film The Ramen Girl.

Re-post: Spike Lee's tribute to Michael Jackson "This Is It"

Iconic filmmaker, Spike Lee, will world premiere his tribute video to Michael Jackson entitled "This Is It" tonight at 7pm on his website www.40acres.com, but you don't have to wait! We have it right here on PJWN in its entirety. The short film is a fantastic look at Michael's roots and the town that loves him.

World Premiere: Spike Lee's tribute to Michael Jackson "This Is It"

Iconic filmmaker, Spike Lee, will world premiere his tribute video to Michael Jackson entitled "This Is It" tonight at 7pm on his website www.40acres.com but you don't have to wait! We have it right here on PJWN in its entirety. (Pass your cursor over the area where the video should be and click to play.) The short film is a fantastic look at Michael's roots and the town that loves him.

Breaking News: Madea has passed away

Tyler Perry announced on his website today, his mother, Willie Maxine Perry, passed away Tuesday at the age of 64. Mrs. Perry was the inspiration for Tyler Perry's trademark character Madea. Perry thanked his many fans for their prayers and words of encouragement. He offered no other information about his mother's death. Our prayers go out to him.

BREAKING NEWS: Michael Jackson's Accuser's Father Dead

Unconfirmed reports are in that Evan Chandler, father of Michael Jackson's accuser in his first molestation trial Jordan Chandler, is dead. Reportedly, the elder Chandler was found dead on November 5th of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He left no suicide note.

Evan Chandler famously accused Michael of molestation in 1993 leading to Michael's first major bout with depression and anxiety surrounding negative media attention. Chandler originally approached Michael's people with a demand for money saying he had a doctor's note saying sexual abuse might have occurred; at this time the boy had not said anything about abuse. Chandler was turned away and filed a civil suit against Michael using a confession extracted from his son with sodium amytal as evidence of the alleged abuse. Sodium amytal alters the mind to allow others to implant memories; in other words, Jordan's father brainwashed him into saying Michael Jackson molested him. Jordan told police and psychiatrists he and Michael kissed, masturbated, and engaged in oral sex. (I'm sorry for the graphic nature of the post, but you need to understand just how heinous his allegations were.) Police raided Neverland Ranch and searched his mother's home Hayvenhurst. Michael was forced to submit to a strip search and photographing of his body, including his genitals, anus, thighs, etc.

Evan Chandler was tape recorded speaking with his son's stepfather saying, “Everything’s going according to a certain plan that isn’t just mine… and if I go through with this, I win big time. There’s no way I lose. I’ve checked that inside out. I will get everything I want, and they will be destroyed forever. June will lose [custody of the son]… and Michael’s career will be over.” When asked how the accusations will affect his son, Evan replied "That's irrelevant to me...It will be a massacre if I don't get what I want. It's going to be bigger than all us put together...This man [Jackson] is going to be humiliated beyond belief...He will not sell one more record".

Jordan Chandler's own mother opposed the trial saying she believed Michael would never hurt a child much less her own son; she said her ex-husband was lying. LaToya Jackson added fuel to the fire by claiming Michael was a pedophile and she would give proof to any media outlet prepared to pay her a half a million dollars. Michael's physical and emotional health suffered during the trial prompting his wife, Lisa Marie Presley, and others close to him to consider settling. He settled the case for $22 million in 1993 so he could get on with his life.

The terms of the settlement did not prevent Jordan from testifying in the criminal trial, but Jordan chose not to because he did not want to pursue the case (and probably felt guilty for his father's lies.) The District Attorney, Tom Sneddon, and his minions aggressively interrogated over 30 children who stayed at Neverland Ranch and 100's of other witnesses. None of them reported any incidents of sexual abuse. Sneddon brought all his "evidence", including pictures of Michael's genitalia and Jordan's description of his genitalia in front of two grand juries; the description did not match the photos according to USA Today reporters who were allowed to view them. The so-called evidence was rejected by the grand juries and Sneddon's case fell apart. Michael never stood trial on the criminal charges.

After receiving upwards of $20 million in a settlement, Evan Chandler tried to sue Michael Jackson again in 1996 for $60 million. Chandler alleged Michael violated the terms of their settlement by denying he abused his son, giving an interview to Diane Sawyer on 60 Minutes denying the allegations, and writing songs about the media witch hunt on his HIStory album. Chandler also demanded he be allowed to produce and release his own album called EVANstory. Thankfully, Chandler was laughed out of court.

Unconfirmed reports say Jordan later retracted his story saying his father lied and he was sorry. The same reports say he came out again after Michael's death to set the record straight lamenting, "I never meant to lie and destroy Michael Jackson but my father made me to tell only lies. Now i can’t tell Michael how much i’m sorry and if he will forgive me ... Now for the first time i can’t bear to lie anymore. Michael Jackson didn’t do anything to me, all was my father lies to escape from being poor.”

Well, Jordan is far from poor today. His mother divorced his scheming step father shortly after the settlement. Michael sent the last of his payments in 1999; today Jordan lives in a multi-million dollar mansion in Long Island under an assumed name. Michael never spoke to Jordan again.

Even in death, Michael is still hounded by charlatans and leeches intent on capitalizing off his name at all costs. At least Charon has ferried one of them from our midst.

Sources: 1., 2.and 4.

Remember, you read it here at Planet Jackson Worldwide News; Even TMZ is not reporting this yet and NONE of the major news sites are running with this yet.

Update: NBC and other sites are starting to pick up on this story. Remember you saw it here first.

Breaking News: Mike Tyson detained at LAX

Mike Tyson has been detained on suspicion of battery stemming from an altercation with a photographer at the Los Angeles Airport United Airlines counter. Tyson's spokeswoman says he was protecting his wife and 10-month-old daughter from an overly-agressive paparazzo. The photographer fell down and cut himself and accused Tyson of hitting him. Both parties want to press charges for battery.

source

Darius Rucker has unprecedented win at CMA awards

Hootie and the Blowfish front man Darius Rucker celebrated a historic win at the Country Music Association Awards show in Nashville, Tennessee Wednesday night. Rucker became the first African-American ever to win the best new artist of the year award; he joins Charley Pride as the only African-Americans ever to win major individual awards at the awards show.

Rucker took the stage while the audience cheered and roared, “What a year! First of all, to the fans, thank y’all for accepting me,” the crowed. “And I think most importantly, to country radio, you took a chance on a pop singer from Charleston, S.C. Thank you so much for that!”

I went to one of the "This Is It" World Premieres

The movie is fantastic. I highly recommend you take some time to see it in the next two weeks.

I still have no idea what that strange sweeping motion at 0:11 is. It made no more sense in the film.

I got chills watching this footage in the context of the film as a whole and knowing it was some of the last breaths he would take.

I am a huge Michael Jackson fan, but even I thought Elizabeth Taylor was exaggerating in her praise for this documentary. I was wrong; this is a must-see movie for anyone who has even a passing interest in Michael, music, dance--life itself. I was completely blown away by the vibrancy and energy I witnessed on screen. There were poignant moments and moments of humor. The humor especially surprised me. Michael really has a wry sense of humor and was often funny without meaning to be so. He took great pride in his work and some of the best moments of the film came when he was correcting others to bring them in line with his vision of perfection for his works. The crew and the audience alike shared a snicker when one of the musicians agreed to "put a little more booty in it" to funk up a bass line and no one was taken aback when, at another point, Michael told the musicans to play his songs like he wrote them; he wrote them like that for a reason. I was touched by how many people expressed the sheer honor of having the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to work with him on this concert. More than once someone said it was a "dream come true."

As for Michael, you could tell age was creeping up on him: he held back in both the singing and the dancing to preserve his voice and body through the grueling 14 hour a day rehearsals leading up to the actual concerts. As Michael told his backup singers, "you can sing out; I need to preserve my voice." Still, Michael holding back is better than any person living or dead giving the best performance of their lives. He was always pitch-perfect and completely hands-on from the choreography to the special effects to the harmonies and the music. The scene where he and Judith Hill dueted was classic Michael. All other singers, no matter how accomplished, had to push themselves to keep up with his emotional tenderness, his sweetness of note.

There were many times when I felt like Kenny Ortega was merely a figurehead because Michael seemed to be directing even the most minute details; he wanted the audience to experience the extravaganza as he saw it in his own dreams. The re-imagined Thriller scene was so incredible it would have been worth the international flight to London just to see it in 3-D. He also re-tooled Smooth Criminal to include scenes with Humphrey Bogart and Greta Garbo. He fit in seemlessly with the vintage scenes in his suit, hat, and spats. I would have liked to see more dance choreography to accompany that segment though the Matrix-like special effects and Michael sliding down a staircase and jumping through a plate glass window was awe-inspiring. Still, Smooth Criminal just isn't the same without the famous 45 degree lean.

There are those who say this movie is a sham effort to cover up Michael's frailty in his last days. He looked healthy and happy in the footage which appeared to be taken over the course of at least a week or two prior to his death. Michael did look thinner than usual and he rarely danced full out unless the music really got a hold of him. I think he was saving himself and his energy so he could give a 1000% when he did the actual shows in London. After all, he was a 50 year old man about to perform 50 shows back to back. Michael would never cheat his fans. Indeed, this concert would have spoiled them for any others. Nothing else would have compared. In that sense, he did really mean This is It. In all others, this will never be it for the King of Pop. Long Live Michael Jackson.

Breaking News: Nashville Police Release new information in McNair Murder/Suicide

In the days before their deaths, Sahel Kazemi asked Steve McNair for $2,000 to cover bills and assurances that they would be together. Metro police on Monday released a summary report of the investigation into the former Tennessee Titans quarterback's murder that includes text messages and other details about the final hours of their lives.

Chris Wall, who provided security for McNair's family, told investigators that McNair had gotten increasingly annoyed over his relationship with Kazemi. She often called him when he was with his wife and children, according to Wall, and he was getting tired of it. He had slowed down the relationship and was seeing her less often, Wall said.

Investigators concluded that Kazemi, 20, was drowning in debt and despondent over realizations that McNair was dating other women and wasn't going to leave his wife for her.

A CBS report states that Kazemi had more than $2,500 in the bank, contradicting the police explanation that Kazemi was distraught over money and the unraveling relationship. But text messages between the two suggest that $2,000 of that money came from McNair on the evening before his murder.

Police released the report but as always, wouldn't comment on it. Here is the Tennessean.com account of the report.

Breaking News: Dr. Conrad Murray's Babymama

Michael Jackson's personal physician, Dr. Conrad Murray's babymama Nicole Alvarez has been ordered to testify in front of a Los Angeles grand jury. Police searched Alvarez' apartment last month in connection with the investigation into Michael's death. Alvarez is an ex-stripper-turned mistress who lived quite nicely-thank you-off Michael's Murray's money. He put her up in a posh Santa Monica pad, bought her a BMW, and financed lavish shopping sprees.

Breaking News: Ellen is the new Idol

Ellen DeGeneres just Tweeted she will be the new judge on American Idol. Paula Abdul can officially forget about any hopes she had of being begged to come back. Ellen has a huge following (don't ask me why, I don't understand it) who is sure to tune in to listen to her corny, unfunny jokes on Idol nights. Riddle me this: Idol is a singing show that has made actual stars out of many of its contestants (whether they had talent or not is another discussion). What qualifies non-singing Ellen to judge aspiring professional singers?
P.S. I'm going to redouble my efforts not to watch this season. Idol consistently picks the wrong people to be winners and forces contestants to conform to schlock rather than to show their individual character as performers. It was already insufferable to listen to Simon's meanness and Randy's "you know man" comments every season. Add Ellen to the mix and it becomes completely unwatchable. Paula's spaciness was the only thing keepin g it entertaining.

Breaking News: Michael Jackson's Death Ruled A Homicide

The L.A. County coroner's office has ruled Michael Jackson's cause of death a homicide according to anonymous sources. This clears the way for manslaughter charges to be brought against Michael's personal physician, Dr. Conrad Murray.

D.E.A. agents are investigating Michael's personal physician Dr. Arnold Klein. They have served search warrants on an area pharmacy where they believe Klein filled prescriptions for Jackson. Dr. Klein introduced Michael to his assistant Debbie Rowe, whom Michael later married and fathered children with.

Bueller....Bueller....Anyone?

1980's cult film director John Hughes is Dead. John Hughes' coming-of-age films filled with teen angst defined the 80's for many Generation X'ers. He launched and/or solidified the careers of many stars including Emilio Estevez, Molly Ringwald, Judd Nelson, Ally Sheedy, Matthew Broderick, Macaulay Culkin, and Anthony Michael Hall. His films included The Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Pretty in Pink, National Lampoon's Vacation, and Home Alone.

Ben Stein, who said the iconic "Bueller, Bueller,...Anyone?" in Hughes' film Ferris Bueller's Day Off had this to say about his friend, "

He made a better connection with young people than anyone in Hollywood had
ever made before or since," Stein said on Fox Business Network. "It's incredibly
sad. He was a wonderful man, a genius, a poet. I don't think anyone has come
close to him as being the poet of the youth of America in the postwar period. He
was to them what Shakespeare was to the Elizabethan Age."

Breaking news: Of Course Bill got those women

Of course Bill Clinton was successful in getting Euna Lee and Laura Ling released from prison in North Korea. Word is Kim Jong Il told the women months ago he would let them free if they got a high ranking government official like Bill Clinton to fly halfway across the world to meet with him. For his part, the former president refused to go unless he could guarantee he would successfully negotiate their release. This whole trip was cooked from the beginning. The Obama Administration keeps stressing that this was a private trip, but it is obvious private citizens cannot enter North Korea without harsh consequences. Things that make you go hmmm.

Question: both women admitted in a phone call with Lisa Ling they knowingly crossed illegally. Skiers who knowingly go into avalanche zones then have to get rescued have to reimburse certain municipalities for the costs associated with their rescue. Should these two women be responsible for the costs associated with obtaining their release? If they made that statement of their own free will and it is true, should they have to apologize to the United States for all the trouble they caused? Should the same hold true for those backpackers who recently crossed into Iran?

Breaking News: Pres. Bill Clinton will go to Korea

President Obama is sending former President Bill Clinton to North Korea to negotiate the release of two journalists who were detained for "hostile acts" and illegally entering the country at the border with China. The journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee have admitted they illegally crossed the border and have been sentenced to 12 years' hard labor. Laura Ling is actress Lisa Ling's sister. It is expected Pres. Clinton will also discuss North Korea's universally condemned long-range nuclear testing carried out in recent months.

Lighten it up: Hello! Isn't Hillary the Secretary of State? I think she's just trying to get Bill away from another woman by sending him half-way around the world. I guess Bill was having a little too much fun up in Harlem.

Note: this story is so new, the U.S. Embassy in Seoul, South Korea is still verifying it.

Breaking News: Katherine Jackson Gets Permanent Custody

A Los Angeles judge has awarded permanent custody of Michael Jackson's three children, Prince Michael, Paris Michael, and Prince Michael II, to Michael's mother, Katherine Jackson thus accepting the custody agreement brokered between Katherine and Michael's ex-wife Debbie Rowe. Under the agreement, Katherine would retain permanent custody while Debbie would retain her parental rights and get visitation rights, but no monetary compensation and no say over the Jackson estate.

Breaking News: Police Are Investigating A Possible Bomb At Harpo Studios

The Chicago Bomb and Arson Unit is investigating a suspicious package outside Oprah's Harpo Productions studio. A backpack with wires hanging out of it was found in a flower bed around 6AM local time. Now we don't know anyone with a grudge against Oprah, do we?

Breaking News: Katherine Gets the Kids

In a deal announced late Thursday, lawyers for Mrs. Katherine Jackson revealed a deal has been reached in the custody battle for Michael Jackson's children. In the terms of the deal, Katherine would retain custody of Michael's three children, Prince, Paris, and Blanket (whose custody was not necessarily an issue), while Debbie Rowe would get visitation with Prince and Paris. Debbie would retain her parental rights but would not receive any money, and she agreed not to seek custody of the two oldest children.

Katherine's attorney, Londell McMillan told The Early Show, "There is no situation better for these children than for them to be raised and reared in the
loving care of Mrs. Katherine Jackson."

I think Katherine should have pushed harder for Debbie Rowe's parental rights to be terminated. It is obvious to me she does not want to raise these children. In interviews she, herself, has said she never did intend to raise the kids because she had them as a "gift" to Michael. I also suspect some money has changed hands under the table just so Debbie wouldn't look like a golddigger which she is.

Breaking News: Michael Jackson to make diamonds

Michael Jackson's albums went diamond and now he is about to become diamonds. A U.S. company says it is in negotiations to turn a lock of Michael's hair singed off during his ill-fated Pepsi shoot into diamonds. The process would involve extracting carbon from the lock of hair then heating it to more than 4000 degrees Farenheit under extremely high pressure to make approximately 10 diamonds weighing at least a 1/2 carat each. Those diamonds would be the rarest and most sought-after diamonds in the world.

Note: Some of you have asked for that Pepsi footage. I refuse to post it because it is too disturbing. Television news showed the footage in an endless loop when the newly discovered tapes were released earlier this month. I prefer to remember Michael as he was in the good times, not when he was in agony.