Posted: 12:13 p.m. Friday, March 26, 2010
Cop Accused Of Drug Trafficking; Baby Gate Recall; Beyonce's Publicist On Baby Rumor: 'No Comment'; Black Marriage Weekend; Real Housewife's Really Bi (PHOTO)
By Veronica Waters
- Protect and serve and push coke? An Atlanta policeman accused of drug trafficking pleads not guilty in federal court, and he faces a bond hearing today. Lucius Soloman, a 31-year-old Army veteran who's been on the force for nine years, allegedly had 11 pounds of cocaine he was trying to sell. He's accused of doing four drug deals since September. Turns out the folks he was selling to were undercover cops.
- A revamped health insurance reform bill passes the House again, 220-207. President Obama is expected to sign it next week. Republicans say they'll hit the campaign trail with the promise of repealing it. The president says he welcomes the fight.
- A big baby gate recall: 150,000 wooden gates that block stairways from young children are being recalled by Evenflo. The slats on Evenflo Top-of-Stair Plus gates can break or detach, allowing children to access the stairs. They were sold nationwide in stores as well as online. Evenflo is offering free replacement gates.
- Speaking of babies: is she or isn't she? Mediatakeout.com is posting that Beyonce is with child. They claim to have a "rock solid source" who says that the 28-year-old singer will continue to work through her pregnancy and that the 40-year-old Jay-Z is "extremely happy" about the bun in the oven. Bey's publicist declined to address the rumor. "We don't respond to private-matter inquiries,'' said Alan Nierob. The couple celebrate their second wedding anniversary next month.
- It's Black Marriage Weekend. The eighth-annual event was founded in response to statistics showing blacks are less likely to marry and more likely to divorce. Fifteen Atlanta teens with Future Foundation's RealTalk ATL interviewed happily-married couples on how to stay that way. They plan to hit Greenbriar Mall tomorrow, sharing the couples' tips and passing out love song-filled CDs. The teenagers want to encourage married parents to stay that way--to "set a good example" for them.
- A Rhode Island school was the first to fire all the teachers because of poor school performance. Now, it's happening in Georgia. Beach High School in Savannah just terminated the entire staff, hoping to avoid a state takeover. The school has been struggling to improve for eight years. Teachers can reapply for their jobs, but there's no guarantee they'll be rehired.
- Once again, a Republican senator is blocking a stopgap bill to extend jobless benefits. It's a different lawmaker, but for the same reason. Oklahoma's Tom Coburn is following the example of Kentucky's Jim Bunning, arguing that the $9 billion cost of the bill should not be added to the national debt. That means that some people who've been out of work for six months or more will likely lose their unemployment benefits--at least temporarily. The short-term extension is needed while the Senate and White House hammer out a long-term measure to provide the benefits through the end of the year.
- The Obama administration today unveils a new plan to help homeowners struggling with mortgages. Those who owe more on their mortgages than their properties are worth will be able to get new loans backed by the Federal Housing Administration.
- Does Facebook cause syphilis? According to researchers in Britain, they see a connection. They contend the areas of their country where Facebook is most used have seen up to a four-fold increase in incidents of the STD. Their theory is that the social networking site makes it easier for people to hook up for casual sex.
- A pitching prospect for the Atlanta Braves has been arrested in a prostitution sting in Florida. Deunte Heath, a 24-year-old who pitched for the Gwinnett Braves last season, allegedly offered an undercover female officer $75 for sex. The sting was caught on tape by a TV station.
- Cobb County Schools' superintendent says he's never seen a budget this bad. The district's considering up to six furlough days for all staff, and eliminating buses as some of the options for helping cut $138 million out of next year's budget.
- It's Crossover Day at the state Capitol. That means bills die if they don't move from one house to the other. Still stalled in one chamber or another: a major ethics reform bill for state lawmakers; the governor's bill on transportation funding which includes a one-cent sales tax for roads; and a bill that could divide Fulton County and recreate the old Milton County.
- The teenager who got the California Assembly to approve a No Cussing resolution earlier this month is telling Vice President Joe Biden to watch his language. South Pasadena High School student McKay Hatch says he'll ask Biden to apologize for letting an F-bomb slip during a bill-signing ceremony earlier this week. Hatch says he'll also mail Biden one of his No Cussing Club's penalty jars and an official club T-shirt.
- There's been gossip about it for months, but now Real Housewives of Atlanta star Kim Zolciak is coming out with the truth, so to speak. Kim gave an exclusive interview to Life&Style magazine in which she admits she is bisexual, and in a relationship with DJ Tracy Young. She says that sparks flew between the two of them when DJ Tracy mixed her single "Tardy for the Party." Kim goes on to say that while she was never tempted to deny the relationship itself, "I wasn't ready to discuss it when the story broke. I hadn't even had the chance to talk to my family about it. It was so unfair." The couple's first public appearance together was back in December. "I myself was confused and scared at first. Being able to speak from my heart and get this all out, it's a huge relief for me," says Zolciak.
- The KISS 104.1 weather forecast: decreasing cloudiness, and a breezy high of 58; Friday night, lows 37-40. Saturday, mostly sunny skies with a high of 54. Sunday, 70% chance of showers and a breezy high of 63. Monday, partly cloudy, a breezy high near 62.
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