Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Michelle Shocked concerts canceled after anti-gay remarks at show

Published March 19, 2013

FoxNews.com

The American singer Michelle Shocked entertains the audience at the jazz festival of Montreux on July 11, 1995. (Reuters)

Folk singer Michelle Shocked is getting more publicity than ever before, but it has nothing to do with her music.
The 51-year-old singer allegedly made anti-gay statements while on stage during a performance on Sunday.
"I live in fear that the world will be destroyed if gays are allowed to marry," Shocked told the crowd at Yoshi’s, according to San Francisco news site, sfist

.
She reportedly added: “You can go on Twitter and say ‘Michelle Shocked says God hates f**s.”
And since her unexpected speech on stage, it seems many music venues don’t want to be linked to the singer.
Two of her shows in California have since been cancelled, according to E! News, and her Seattle show has also reportedly been taken off her touring schedule.
ETown, a venue in Boulder, Colo., announced on their Facebook page that their Shocked show was no more.
“In light of recent developments, eTown must cancel the upcoming concert with Michelle Shocked, originally scheduled to take place in May at eTown Hall,” the post read.
SPACE in Evanston, Ill., wrote a similar message, canceling their May 5 concert.
"Many of you have reached out already following an ugly rant given by Michelle Shocked at her show in San Francisco last night,” the venue wrote on Facebook. “After speaking with the promoter of that show about the nature of the remarks, it's clear that this is no longer a show we're willing to put our name on.”
Shocked’s reps did not immediately return FOX 411’s request for comment.
Shock first gained attention in 1986 with the album "Texas Campfire Tapes" and had several charting albums dating into the early 1990s. The singer was continuously questioned about her sexuality over the years, but refused to say whether she was gay or straight. She was married for 12 years and divorced in 2004

Kordell Stewart files to divorce 'Real Housewives' star Porsha

Published March 26, 2013

Associated Press

Porsha Williams of the "Real Housewives of Atlanta" is pictured. (Bravo)

Former Pittsburgh Steelers standout Kordell Stewart has filed for divorce from his reality television star wife.
In a divorce petition filed Friday in Fulton County Superior Court in Atlanta, Stewart says his marriage to Porsha Williams is "irretrievably broken" and the two are separated. The pair appears on Bravo's "The Real Housewives of Atlanta."
The filing says the two married May 21, 2011, and have no children together.
Stewart asks the court to find there are no marital assets to divide. He says Williams is "an able-bodied person, earning income, and is capable of supporting herself." He asks that neither side be ordered to pay alimony.
Stewart was a sensation in Pittsburgh in the late 1990s and was nicknamed "Slash" for his versatility as quarterback, running back and wide receiver.

Will Amanda Knox have to return to Italy for trial?

By Dylan Stableford, Yahoo! News | The Lookout – 28 mins ago

Knox is escorted to a hearing in 2008 (AP/File)

An Italian supreme court overturned the acquittal of Amanda Knox on Tuesday, ordering a review that could result in demanding the 25-year-old to return to Florence to stand trial again for the 2007 murder of her roommate.
Good luck.
Legal experts say there's little Italy can do to force Knox, who lives in Seattle, to return for the new hearings, and Knox's lawyers says there's no reason she would agree to do so.
“Merely because they have sent it back for revision does not mean that anything else will happen," Theodore Simon, one of Knox's lawyers, said in an interview with the "Today" show. "They will review it. They may simply affirm that there was a ‘not guilty’ before and it should remain the same. They may seek to take some further evidence, but nothing has really changed.”
[Related slideshow: The Amanda Knox trial]
Italian law cannot compel Knox to return to Italy for a new trial, although a court could declare her in contempt if she refuses to appear. But even if that happens, the contempt charge carries no additional penalties, the Associated Press said.
"If the court orders another trial, if she is convicted at that trial and if the conviction is upheld by the highest court, then Italy could seek her extradition," Carlo Dalla Vedova, another lawyer for Knox, told news service. In that scenario, the United States would have to agree to extradite her.
That would seem unlikely since it violates the U.S. legal principle of double jeopardy preventing someone from being tried twice for the same crime. But Vedova told the New York Times it does not apply in this case because there had been no final ruling.
More from the AP:

It is unclear what would happen if she were convicted and sentenced to further prison time. It is possible Italy could seek her extradition, or that U.S. and Italian authorities could come to a deal that would keep her in the United States.

The new hearings will be held at an appellate court in Florence sometime later this year or early next, the Italian court said.
In a statement released Tuesday, Knox called the court's decision "painful" since "the prosecution's theory of my involvement in Meredith's murder has been repeatedly revealed to be completely unfounded and unfair."
In 2011, Knox and Raffaele Sollecito, her former boyfriend, were acquitted in the murder of Meredith Kercher, a British student who was found dead in the Perugia, Umbria, apartment she shared with Knox, half naked with her throat slashed. Knox and Sollecito each spent four years in prison before the acquittal.
"The prosecution responsible for the many discrepancies in their work must be made to answer for them, for Raffaele's sake, my sake, and most especially for the sake of Meredith's family," Knox said. "Our hearts go out to them. No matter what happens, my family and I will face this continuing legal battle as we always have, confident in the truth and with our heads held high in the face of wrongful accusations and unreasonable adversity."
Knox's book about the case—"Waiting to Be Heard"—is due to be released next month.

Zendaya Coleman, Kellie Pickler shine in 'Dancing With the Stars' week 2

By Meaghan Murphy

Published March 26, 2013

FoxNews.com

DANCING WITH THE STARS - "Episode 1601" -- "Dancing with the Stars" was back with an all-new cast of fresh faces hitting the dance floor. The competition began with the two-hour Season 16 premiere, live, MONDAY, MARCH 18 (8:00-10:01 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network. (ABC/Adam Taylor)KELLIE PICKLER, DEREK HOUGH (ÃÂ© 2013 American Broadcasting Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Look out, Zendaya Coleman–Kellie Pickler is hot on your heels!
Sporting a tiny silver sequined top and a pair of itty-bitty black shorts, Pickler wowed the judges with her interpretive barefoot jazz dance performed with partner Derek Hough. The “American Idol” alumna even threw in a few cheerleader moves from high school for good measure.
“That was friggin’ amazing,” raved judge Carrie Ann Inaba. “I’m blown away. I can’t wait for next week.”
“Last week was a spark, this week is a fire–well done,” said judge Len Goodman.
“Technically superb,” added judge Bruno Tonioli. “A great achievement on week two.”
But Disney star Coleman doesn’t have too much to worry about–she and partner Val Chmerkovskiy kept their first place standing by sizzling on the dance floor with a roaring twenties-inspired Jive.
“You kill-kill-killed that number,” gushed Inaba. "You were great last week, but I did not expect that. That was fantastic!”
The pair tied Pickler and Hough for first place this week, earning 26 points from the judges. Combined with last week’s score of 24, Coleman and Chmerkovskiy lead the “DWTS” leader board with a total of 50 points out of 60.
“Thank you, that’s all I can say,” a breathless Coleman told host Brooke Burke-Charvet after hearing the results.
Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Jacoby Jones, who received some tips from a dance troupe of grade school girls during rehearsals, also impressed the judges with his frenetic Jazz dance.
“It was like watching a headlining star at the Cotton Club,” cheered Tonioli. “Stylistically, it was just spot-on–it had wit, charm, energy. The moves were just outstanding.”
But the most improved celebrity of the night was comedian D.L. Hughley, who was determined to redeem himself after an “humiliating” experience last week.
“I felt like this went from a fun thing to ‘Hunger Games’ in tights,” Hughley explained to partner Cheryl Burke during a tense moment during rehearsals. “I’m doing the best I can with this. I just had my ass whipped on national TV.”
Despite some struggles, Hughley and Burke bounced back and danced a solid version of the Quickstep.
“We were doing our Whitney and Bobby imitations for a little while there,” Hughley joked to Burke-Charvet, as the audience laughed uncomfortably. “We’re doing great–we’re back together.”
Hughley and Burke scored 16 points from the judges, a 25 percent improvement over last week. But the pair are in dead last on the “DWTS” leader board, with a total of 28 out of 60 points.
But not all hope is lost. “The secret to this show is each week, improve, and get a bit better,” noted Goodman. “Tonight you’ve improved over last week–well done.”
Dorothy Hamill, who missed a few days of practice due to a painful cyst on her ankle, took an unfortunate turn for the worse with a version of the Jive that the judges described as “rough.”
“You lost the footing so many times,” lamented Tonioli. “So many mistakes that it was obvious (you were hurting), and you know that.”
Country star Wynonna Judd also managed to present a stiff and awkward performance of the Quickstep as a Segway-driving, bedazzled mall cop.
At one point, her mustachioed partner Tony Dovolani simulated motorboating Judd’s ample cleavage. “Those assets need security at all times,” quipped Tonioli.
Despite having Brandi Glanville in the audience to cheer her on, “Real Housewives” star Lisa Vanderpump also under performed, hulking along as a sexy stewardess to the Jive with partner Gleb Savchenko.
“You were trying to fly, but you never really took off with that dance for me,” noted Goodman. “It was a little bit wooden.”
WATCH: Lisa Vanderpump's sexy jive
Andy Dick continued to work his wacky persona into his dance moves, performing a zany “Alice in Wonderland”-inspired Jazz dance to Lady Gaga’s “Poker Face.”
“You’re not the best dancer, but you come out and you’re totally committed,” observed Goodman. “It was awkward in places, but it was fun to watch.”
Despite rumors of behind-the-scenes diva behavior, “Bachelor” star Sean Lowe was all smiles as the judges critiqued his lackluster Jive to a “Gidget” meets “Jaws” theme.
“I didn’t get it at all,” sniffed Goodman. “It was all about the theme about sharks and looking through binoculars–that’s not good enough.”
Once again, Lowe’s fiancee Catherine Giudici, outfitted in a coordinating sunshine yellow dress,was miffed at the judges’ assessment of her man’s dancing skills.
Boxer Victor Ortiz, “General Hospital” star Ingo Rademacher and Olympic gymnast Aly Raisman all put in perfectly acceptable–if not particularly memorable–performances.
The couple with the lowest combined total of judges’ scores and viewer votes will be cut from the competition during the results show on Tuesday.
Next week: The theme is “Prom Night,” so get ready for lots of bad 1980s fashion.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2013/03/26/zendaya-coleman-kellie-pickler-shine-in-dancing-with-stars-week-2/?intcmp=features#ixzz2Ofi962X1

Real World Impacts of Growing Student Loan Debt

by Kate Rogers

Published March 15, 2013

FOXBusiness

Reuters

With the cost of tuition, loan delinquencies and student debt all on the rise, millennials aren’t able to enter the housing market at the same age as their predecessors, which is having a ripple effect throughout the market and could have long-lasting consequences.
A report from the International Institute of Finance (IIF), shows people under the age of 30 can’t afford to become homebuyers, which are negatively impacting housing prices and could disrupt the slow-burning economic recovery.
College tuition costs are increasing ten-times as fast as food housing and health-care, according the IIF, and for the first time ever in 2012, outstanding debt topped $1 trillion, increasing by four times its amount since 2003. The study also shows nearly 20% of U.S. households have outstanding student debt, compared to 16% in 2007. In addition, the average wage for workers in the 25-to-34-year-old age group also decreased by 10%.
Housing Market Effects
The immediate impact of young adults skipping homeownership is a fuller rental market and fewer home owners, says Patrick Newport, IHS Global Insight economist.
“Student debt will affect the home ownership rate, which may drop in the next three or four years to levels last seen in the 1960s.”
In turn, rental prices will rise--particularly in big cities--as demand increases. More multi-unit homes will be built to meet this demand for rental units as well, he says.
In the past, college grads made up a largest portion of the first-time-homebuyers group, however the high debt they carry and their low wages make accessing a mortgage difficult, the IIF reports.
The trend will negatively impact the economy, according to William Delwiche, investment strategist at private equity firm Robert J. Baird and Co., because this group is holding back on major life purchases such as home investments.
“It decreases the vibrancy of the economy and decreases the recovery. The impact is more cumulative.” he says.
The Real World Impact of Debt
Rutgers University recently found 40% of students graduating from a four-year college with debt have delayed big-ticket purchases, which is bad for the economy since consumer spending makes up a significant portion of the country’s gross domestic product.
“These college graduates are saddled with debt and can’t buy a house, or get married, or buy a car, the way you would expect to see in a healthy economic environment,” Delwiche says.
While the labor market is improving and more young adults have been finding work recently, they might be overqualified and wages have remained stagnate.
“They are graduating and finding jobs, but the jobs aren’t paying what they should,” he says. “So this delays their flexibility in the near term.”
The IIF says in 2011, first-time homebuyers fell to the smallest percentage of total home purchasers since 2006, and that the Federal Reserve says that from 2009 to 2011, only 9% of those ages 29-to-34 were approved for a first-time mortgage. In the past decade, home ownership for those under 35 fell significantly.
The Bigger Problem
Newport argues home prices are being pushed up for another reason: lack of supply. In 2012, according to Newport, more than 1.1 new households were formed compared to only around 900,000 homes built that same year.
“What’s driving prices up right now are low interest rates and the fact that we are not building enough homes to meet population growth. The inventory number isn’t exceeding demand. I don’t think the student debt effect is as important as what’s driving prices up right now.”
Andrew Kelly, a research fellow in education policy at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), says student loan debt is a problem, but cant be blamed for everything
“The tendency is to think of student loan debt as ‘The’ problem,” he says. “Yes debt-to-income ratios are growing and tuition costs are growing higher than inflation and wages. But people focus their reform energy on the debt, and I argue that its part of a broader problem. It doesn’t make the plight of individual borrowers or the impact on the economy any less acute.”
Kelly doesn’t argue against the value of a college education, but says the extraordinary cost to get a four-year degree needs to be addressed.
“The question is not if people are graduating with more debt, but rather are they better off for investing their money [in education]?” Kelly says. “If you look at wages and earnings for high school graduates, those people with a degree will still be better off. Even if they have debt in the short term and it hampers their ability to do things like this.”
Student debt is only really an investment when it’s used simply for education, says Edward Pinto, AEI scholar on housing and real estate. But all too often, students take out more loans than necessary.
“One of the issues is that much of the student lending is going to finance living expenses—the lattes, people living in kiddie condos, cell phones—it all gets very expensive,” Pinto says. He adds that many aren’t working during off semesters to make up the costs, deepening them in debt.
Follow Kate Rogers on Twitter at @KateRogersNews