• Your one stop for college news and resources!

Iesha Pompey

Jay-Z fires back at lawmakers in "Open Letter"

Jay-Z and Beyonce’s recent trip to Cuba is in question. Jay-Z released a track addressing the issue.

Jay-Z and Beyonce have been getting a few nose twist and slanted eyebrows over their recent anniversary trip to Havana, Cuba. Apparently “Hov” got a little heated over politicians discussing the legalities of he and queen Bey’s destination choice; he released a new track titled “Open Letter” to address those in questioning.

On the track “Open Letter”, Jay-Z mentions president Obama, in which he says the president jokingly holds him responsible if he gets impeached over giving Jay-Z the okay to go to Cuba.

White House officials cleared the rumors yesterday verifying that president Obama had nothing to do with Jay-Z and Beyonce’s five year anniversary vacation to Havana. White House Press Secretary, Jay Carney, issued a statement and made light of the allegations by questioning whether or not Jay-Z could find something that rhymes with “treasury” because travel approval is granted through treasury and not the White House.

“It’s just a song… The president did not communicate with Jay-Z over this trip,” said Jay Carney.

“Open Letter” has had over 500,000 listens since it was released yesterday along with more photos of the couple in Havana, Cuba. In the photos, Jay Z and Beyonce seem to be enjoying their anniversary vacation as they walk through a crowded street, comfortably dress and Jay-Z with his cigar in hand.

U.S. citizens are prohibited travel to Cuba for tourism under the law. Many onlookers and lawmakers are calling the couple communist for this reason. But a source verified that Jay-Z and Beyonce did obtain the proper travel licenses for their fifth anniversary vacation. In “Open Letter” Jay-Z says:

“Obama said, ‘Chill, you gonna get me impeached. You don’t need this … anyway, chill with me on the beach.”

“Wanna give me jail time and a fine, fine, let me commit a real crime.”

“… I’m in Cuba, I love Cubans. This communist talk is so confusing.”

Fatal Easter Sunday shooting

A son killed his father in an Ohio church on Easter morning.

An Ohio man made it to Easter service on Sunday at Hiawatha Church of God in Christ. Just before approaching the pulpit to praise Allah with his fellow Christian followers, he exposed a handgun and shot his father with a single shot. The gunman is said to have then gone on a rampage about how he killed his father as a service to his higher power.

Richard Riddle, 53, father of the gunman Reshad Riddle, 28, was killed in the church that he has been a member of for many years. Members of Hiawatha Church of God in Christ say there were no known issues between the father and son, though Reshad Riddle has rarely visited the church as an adult.

The son is said to have a criminal record, including a felonious assault in which he attempted to slit his girlfriend’s throat. He was also charged with kidnapping, abducting and tampering with evidence, and possession of cocaine.

Reshad Riddle is being treated as a suspect and appeared in Ashtbula Municipal court on Monday with his wrist and ankles in shackles. Again, he made comments regarding his religious belief and asked that he be tried fairly. The judge appointed Reshad Riddle a defense attorney. The prosecutor asked that bail be set at $1 million with a psychiatric evaluation and 24 hour monitoring if he makes bail.

Family members are coming forward and seem just as confused as church members on the possible motive for the Easter morning shooting. The sister of the victim says her brother was a loving family man who cared about people.

Reshad Riddle is said to have walked the church aisle, still holding his gun, while church members scrambled to make an exit. He then took the pulpit and said murdering his father was the “will of god”. Some church members recount Reshad Riddle appeared to be deranged, as if affected by some voluntary substance abuse.

Police responded about four minutes later to a 911 call (made from the church restroom) and apprehended the gunman. Three other shootings, with teen victims, took place on Easter Sunday in Ohio.

Lindsay Lohan is pregnant, maybe

Lindsay Lohan tweeted that she’s pregnant on April Fools Day.

Lindsay Lohan is pregnant, possibly. She or one of her very responsible spokespeople sent out a tweet from her official Twitter account last night around 10:45 p.m. PST that said, “It’s official. Pregnant…” The tweet has been “retweeted” over 17,000 times and liked about 6,000 times. As if the criminal starlet needed any more publicity, fans are questioning if the tweet was a late April Fools joke, it was after all the night of April 1st.

If she is pregnant, there’s a possibility that reported boyfriend Avi Snow, the City of the Sun guitarist, is the father. There’s also the possibility of Lindsay Lohan beginning her pregnancy documenting in rehab. She was offered a plea deal, for last year’s charges of reckless driving and lying to officers last year. Her lawyer, Mark Heller lessened her sentence; Lindsay Lohan now has to spend 90 days in a lock-down treatment facility, do 30 days of community service, and endure 18 months of psychotherapy.

Her 5.7 million followers are wishing her well and already suggesting baby names for Lindsay Lohan like “VodKaren” and “Colecain”, jokingly hinting at Lindsay Lohan’s history of drug and alcohol abuse. Another follower suggested that Lindsay Lohan start stealing baby clothes, referencing her jewelry theft accusations. However, other fans are taking the news quite seriously and supporting their favorite actress by hoping the maybe baby will help Lindsay Lohan turn her life around and have something greater to live for aside for courtroom hearings.

Perhaps the tweet would have been taken more seriously if it were tweeted any other day. But most bets are the actress is having a little April Fools Day fun while sending the media into a frenzy and inching ahead in a downhill race with another Nickelodeon star, Amanda Bynes who recently asked Drake to “murder” her vagina.

Either way, it seems that everyone will be happy for Lindsay Lohan. All except her boyfriend Avi Snow who only tweeted about a tour stop in Missouri yesterday.

Convicted murderer says he only intended to rape, not kill

The clemency hearing for an Ohio man who murdered an infant during sexual assault will be heard today.

The Ohio man who killed a 6-month-old, while sexually assaulting her, is now seeking mercy from the courts on grounds that he did not mean to kill the infant. Stephen Smith, 46, argues that he was to drunk to realize that his sexual intrusion of an infant’s body was actually killing her. His clemency hearing will be held in Columbus today.

Autumn Carter, the 6-month-old daughter of Stephen Smith’s girlfriend, died as a victim of sexual abuse. However her abuser, Stephen Smith, was not charged with sexual assault. He was charged with murder and sentenced to death. His lawyers, Joseph Wilhelm and Tyson Fleming, are arguing that the death sentence should be commuted because “genuine doubts exist whether he even committed a capital offense.”

Kaysha Frye, mother of the 6-month-old, had been dating the rapist for about six months before he killed her daughter. Though Stephen Smith blames the incident on his high consumption of alcohol, prosecutor James Mayer says there is physical evidence on Autumn Carter’s body that shows intent to kill.

Accusations of how Stephen Smith killed Autumn Carter include suffocation (while on top of the infant) and beating. The abuse is said to have occurred after Stephen Smith had unsuccessfully tried to have sex with Autumn Carter’s mother, Kaysha Frye.

According to reports, the Kaysha Frye was awakened around 3 a.m. by her naked boyfriend placing her dead daughter next to her in bed. She reportedly noticed Autumn Carter wasn’t breathing and ran to her neighbors for help.

When Stephen Smith was tested for drugs and alcohol about eight hours later, his blood-alcohol content was .123. He is said to have consumed about 12 beers per day, which makes his defense of intoxication irrelevant because there is no record of him sexually assaulting and then physically abusing on any day but September 29, 1998.

There is no word on why Stephen Smith was not charged with rape.

First female secret service director

Julia Pierson is President Obama’s choice for Mark Sullivan’s previous secret service position.

Julia Pierson is the first woman to be selected as the Secret Service’s director, following the resignation of former director Mark Sullivan. The recent change is linked to a prostitution scandal in which members of the secret service brought prostitutes to their hotel rooms during their travel to Cartagena, Columbia to secure grounds for President Obama’s arrival.

Many are hoping that Julia Pierson will change the male dominated service. Though others are saying the choice supports the idea that women and other minorities are given the opportunity for advancement after the job has been compromised, as many apply the same reasoning and justification to President Obama’s win after George Bush left office.

Julia Pierson, 53, joined the secret service soon after college and has been in service for over three decades. President Obama says he Julia Pierson is “eminently qualified” to lead the secret service. Julia Pierson most recently served as the chief of staff, but she also served as the Deputy Assistant Director of the office of Protective Operations and the Assistant Director of Human Resources and Training.

Thirteen secret service agents were involved in the prostitution scandal that began when one agent refused to pay the prostitute and the two argued over the money in a hotel hallway. Three agents resigned after being accused of “cavorting with prostitutes during a trip to Cartagena as part of the ‘advance’ team working on President Obama’s trip to Colombia.”

Former Director Mark Sullivan showed praise and admiration for his successor, Julia Pierson. He said that she has demonstrated sound judgment, leadership, commitment, and character to our country during her time of service.

Mark Sullivan announced his retirement last month with more apologies regarding the scandal. He recently issued a new code of conduct banning agents from drink 10 hours prior to their shifts and bringing foreign nationals back to their hotel rooms.

Prop 8 supports "responsible procreation"

Should heterosexuals and elders be tested for fertility prior to getting a marriage license?

Gay marriage is for gay couples just as heterosexual marriage is for straight couples. How either of the two affect the other is yet to be proven. But still, arguments were heard this morning in a California courtroom on whether or not gay marriage is a constitutional right, specifically referring to the Defense of Marriage Act and Proposition 8.

In 2008, California voters voted for Proposition 8, which banned gay marriage and revoked the marriage licenses of many gay couples who had recently married.

Charles J. Cooper defended the proposition and argued before the Supreme Court that marriage should stay between a man and a woman because gay couples cannot reproduce. He did not however suggest that heterosexual couples be tested for fertility prior to getting a marriage license.

Charles J. Cooper also mentioned that children who are raised by gay parents will experience a disadvantage in comparison to those raised by heterosexual parents. He did not give any specifics as to what those children may suffer from.

Proposition 8 was passed with 52 percent of the vote in 2008. Today, at least 61 percent of California voters are against the proposition that bans gay marriage. About 7 percent are undecided.

Justice Sonya Sotomayor asked Charles J. Cooper what injuries his clients (defenders of prop 8) suffer. Charles J. Cooper replied that it is an “injury to the state” rather than to the individual. His weak and seemingly ill-equipped arguments don’t seem to be convincing the justices.

Former Solicitor General Theodore Olson argued an opposing viewpoint, against prop 8. He too mentioned the children of gay parents who want to see their parents marry. Theodore Olson shared 10 of his allotted 30 minutes with a democratic attorney; David Boies who argued that denies gay couples the right to marry denies them of “equal protection of the laws”.

When Justic Sonya Sotomayor asked if gay people should also be denied of other rights strictly in regard to sexual orientation, Charles J. Cooper said no. He then argued that Prop 8 supports “responsible procreation” to which Justice Elena Kagan mentioned heterosexuals over the age of 55 no longer being able to procreate.

On Wednesday, justices will hear arguments on the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, which denies federal recognition of gay marriage.

Total identity thief lives her dream and ruins the life of the real Candida L. Gutierrez

Candida L. Gutierrez finds closure as her identity thief is sentenced to 18 months in prison.

One of the two women claiming to be Candida L. Gutierrez was sent to prison for total identity theft. The two women, a teacher from Houston and an illegal immigrant living in Topeka, met for the first time in a Witchita federal courtroom.

Benita Cardona-Gonzalez, an illegal immigrant from Mexico, was sentenced to 18 months in prison for the use of fraudulent identification. In January, Benita Cardona-Gonzalez plead guilty to an aggravated felony which may or may not have her deported at the end of her sentence.

Many identity theft cases only go as far as financial fraud, involving debit and credit cards. But Benita Cardona-Gonzalez went so far as to use her false identity on her children’s birth certificates. So, she isn’t even the mother of her U.S. born children as far as the law is concerned. But the real Candida L. Gutierrez is extremely concerned by the Mexican native who’s stolen her identity and used it to afford the privilege of getting a mortgage, bank account, driver’s license, and even healthcare.

Cases such as this are prone to turn even the most prominent of immigrant advocates against immigration reform. Candida L. Gutierrez said she wanted to meet the woman who’d stolen her identity and put her through so much trouble. On her visit to Witchica, Candida L. Gutierrez said she wanted Benita Cardona-Gonzalez to see her face and take note of the person who unwillingly afforded her the chance to live her dreams.

Benita Cardona-Gonzalez did take note of her identity theft victim and asked for forgiveness while accepting her sentence. But Candida L. Gutierrez may not let up so easily after years of trying to prove her identity to the Social Security Administration and clear her credit and employment history.

According to Yahoo News, both women filed claims of total identity theft and the imposter was granted a new social security number. Candida L. Gutierrez was also denied a mortgage loan; Benita Cardona-Gonzalez was approved and the house later went into foreclosure.

12 Powerball drawings, 0 winners

The $320 Powerball is the sixth highest in lotto history.

If you buy a hundred lotto tickets, like some gamblers, it betters your chances of actually winning the lotto. But no such luck has been had with the Powerball jackpot that is now nearing over $320 million.

Every time the numbers are drawn and no winners are announced, lotto players race to their nearest convenience store to replay their “lucky” numbers and perhaps through in a few new digits to even out the chances. At least, that’s what happened after no tickets matched Wednesday night’s Powerball drawing.

The $320 million Powerball jackpot is the sixth highest pot in lotto history. The Powerball jackpot was last won in February, granting a Virginia man about $217 million. The highest Powerball win was $587.5 million, split by two winning tickets.

The only Powerball jackpot won to a single ticket was the result of an office pool at a meatpacking plant in 2006. Office lottery pools are one of the safest and less expensive ways to buy multiple Powerball tickets to better the chances of winning. It’s also important to be trustful of the person who’s responsible for buying the tickets or to have two co-workers go and buy them together. In every case, be sure that there is a written contract that is signed buy everyone involved and get a copy of it for yourself to avoid the phone call from your ex co-worker while as she’s on her private jet to Malibu.

Grocery, convenient, and liquor stores might have to hire extra staff to work Wednesday’s and Saturday’s if no one wins the Jackpot soon.

Could the lucky winner have already prematurely counted their losses and tossed the winning ticket in the waste basket? The world may never know. But what we do know is people who play the lotto are generally people who could really use the extra cash. Here’s to hoping that they wont worsen their financial situations for playing the game of chance.

Amanda Bynes wants Drake to assassinate her vagina

Amanda Bynes tweets “I want @drake to murder my vagina”

Amanda Bynes wants Drake to kill her genitals. She didn’t specify how, but I’m thinking somewhere along the lines of a chainsaw and a blowtorch. The Disney starlet turned Nicki Minaj Barbie tweeted, and I quote, “I want @drake to murder my vagina.” Why on earth she wants to hire a hit man to go in her pants and slay her reproductive organ is beyond many of us.

A week ago Amanda Bynes tweeted photos of Drake with some friends and the caption: “@drake is a hot fellow :D.” So maybe she’s serious about her attraction to the “take care” artist. Perhaps she’s also hoping to get a shout out from the Young Money team; rapper Lil’ Wayne gave a shout out to former child star Miley Cyrus in their “Every Girl” song saying, “In about three years, holla at me Miley Cyrus.”

Amanda Bynes seems to be very needy of attention lately as she’s been switching up her style and posting “edgy” photos of herself with big wigs, pounds of makeup and new cheek piercings. The Disney princess also tweeted about love, hinting at a recent breakup.

Amanda Bynes using the word “murder” is probably more shocking than “vagina”. Then again, wanting Drake, a polite rapper, to take part in the execution of her baby tunnel is the bigger concern. The rapper has not yet responded, probably because he is only interested in the real Nicki Minaj. Drake has express adornment for his fellow Young Money artist on numerous occasions, but Nicki Minaj says she see’s him as her kid brother.

Media sources, which have been following Amanda Bynes, are eating popcorn in their cubicles while reading Amanda Bynes’ twitter feed, which shows how desperate the fallen star is for attention. Sources close to the Nickelodeon star say she’s unfazed by the recent DUI charge and hit-and-run allegations because she’s more concerned with the publicity she’s received from it.

Rumor has it; Amanda Bynes’ twitter obsession was the reason for her 2010 breakup with rapper Kid Cudi. If she’s lucky, Twitter will lead her to @drake’s bed and get her slayed.

Marine Turned Porn Star Dies at 65

The star of “Deep Throat” died on Tuesday.

There are far too many jokes to be made about a porn star’s death. Sure, death is no laughing matter. But it’s hard not to crack a smile when rather conservative media goes into the work history of 1970s porn star Harry Reems. Herbert Streicher, his birth name, was widely known for his roles in pornographic films like “Lust in Space”‚ “Deep Throat” and “Double Agent 73”.

“Deep Throat”, of course, is the most popular of the three. In a time when bush babes had a totally different meaning and porn stars only made a few hundred dollars per film, Herbert Streicher played the role of Dr.Young, a role with less talk and more action.

Herbert Streicher and a few others from the adult film gained even more popularity after they were charged with conspiracy to distribute obscenity across state lines. It was the first time in history that actors were being legally held responsible for film distribution. The Times, a noted constitutional lawyer and some Hollywood actors came to Herbert Streicher’s defense with articles and funding for his legal bills.

Though the charges were dropped, “Harry Reems'” legal trouble led to career trouble that eventually landed him on the streets of Los Angeles and then in rehab for alcoholism. He later married and became a successful real estate broker.

Herbert Streicher fell into his adult career when the director of “Deep Throat” handed him a white jacket and instructed him to play the role of the Doctor. He had initially joined the film set as the light technician but later became the star after the male lead decided to take a day off without notice. “Harry Reems” starred in the adult film classic alongside the ever popular Lisa Lovelace (Linda Susan Boreman) who played a patient who had a “hot spot” at the back of her throat.

A documentary following the lives of Lisa Lovelace and “Harry Reems” is set to release later this year.

The actor, real estate broker and ex-marine was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer last summer, though that has not been confirmed as his cause of death. He died in a Salt Lake City veterans hospital.