Kings of Leon apologize for concert 'fiasco

Kings of Leon got less than a royal response this weekend after frontman Caleb Followill cut short their Dallas concert Friday night.

About four songs into the 11 they performed, Caleb Followill started complaining about losing his voice. He told the crowd he was feeling ill, saying, "If you guys would please help me sing, I'd love it." About 50 minutes in, the rocker, 29, said he needed a break. "I'm gonna go backstage for a second and I'm gonna vomit," he told the audience at the Gexa Energy Pavilion. "I'm gonna drink a beer and I'm gonna come back out and I'm gonna play three more songs.

Kings of Leon regretfully announce the postponement of tonight's show in Houston," the band said in a statement on Friday.

Leader singer Caleb Followill quit the stage after just four songs, saying he was suffering from the oppressive heat.

The statement said: "Caleb Followill suffered from heat exhaustion and dehydration, during last night's Dallas performance causing his vocal chords to seize."

It added the show had been rescheduled for September 21 and the same tickets would be honored.

But other band members sent messages on the micro social network Twitter at the weekend acknowledging internal problems within the band.

"Dallas, I cannot begin to tell you how sorry I am. There are internal sicknesses & problems that have needed to be addressed. No words," Caleb's brother Jared Followill tweeted on Saturday.

"I love our fans so much. I know you guys aren't stupid. I can't lie. There are problems in our band bigger than not drinking enough Gatorade," he added later.

The third brother Nathan also sent a Tweet saying: "Not so good morning 4 me today. Ashamed & embarrassed by last nights fiasco. Can't apologize enough, utterly gutted. A million I'm sorry's."

Kings of Leon also pulled out of a concert scheduled for Saturday night and postponed it until September 22.

Founded in 1999, the band which has five albums behind it, including "Youth and Young Manhood" and "Only by the night," was due to resume its tour on Tuesday with a gig in Tampa, Florida.

Joanna Newsom, born January 18, 1982 is an American harpist, pianist and singer-songwriter from Nevada City, California.

Early life

Newsom grew up in the small town of Nevada City, California. As a child, Newsom was not allowed to watch television or listen to the radio because she was raised by doctors who were "kind of idealists when it came to hoping they could protect us from bad influences, like violent movies, or stupid stuff. She was exposed to music from a young age. Her father played the guitar and her mother was a classically trained pianist who played the hammered dulcimer, the autoharp and conga drums. She attended a Waldorf school where she studied theater and learned to memorize and recite long poems. This skill helps her to remember lyrics while on tour.

At the age of 5, Newsom asked her parents if she could play the harp. Her parents eventually agreed to sign her up for harp lessons, but the local harp teacher did not want to take on such a young student and suggested she learn to play the piano first. Starting at the age of four, she began playing the piano and later the harp which she "loved from the first lesson onward. From her instructor, Joanna learned composition and improvisation. She learned to play on smaller Celtic harps until her parents bought her a full-size pedal harp in the seventh grade. During her teens, she and the instrument became inseparable, and she describes her relationship with the harp as similar to "an artificial limb or a wheelchair. It’s almost part of me, but more to the point, it serves a purpose, and if it wasn’t there I would wonder what was supposed to fit in its place.

Personal life

Newsom's family includes her brother Pete, a fellow musician, and sister Emily, who inspired her song "Emily" (and contributed backing vocals). She is the second cousin, twice removed, of Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom of California. She has dated Noah Georgeson, Bill Callahan and is dating Andy Samberg. 

Career

In 2002 and 2003, Newsom recorded two EPs, Walnut Whales and Yarn and Glue. These homemade recordings were intended to serve as a document of her early work; she recorded them on a Fisher-Price tape recorder. These EPs were not intended for public distribution. At the suggestion of Noah Georgeson, her boyfriend at the time and the EPs' recorder, she burned several copies to sell at her early shows. John Fellman, co-producer of Mission Creek Music and Arts Festival, claims to be the first to have booked a show for her.

A friend of Newsom's passed one of these CDs on to Will Oldham at a show in Nevada City. Oldham was impressed with Newsom's music and asked her to tour with him. He also gave a copy of the CD to the owner of Drag City, his record label. Drag City signed Newsom and released her debut album The Milk-Eyed Mender in 2004. Shortly thereafter, Newsom toured with Devendra Banhart and Vetiver and made an early UK appearance at the Green Man Festival in Wales, returning to headline in 2005, 2007 and 2010.

Newsom's work has become prominent on the indie scene. Her profile has risen, in part, due to a number of live shows and appearances on shows like Jimmy Kimmel Live on ABC.

Her second album Ys was released in November 2006. The album features orchestrations and arrangements by Van Dyke Parks, engineering from Steve Albini and mixing by Drag City label-mate Jim O'Rourke. On a road trip, Bill Callahan recommended she listen to the album Song Cycle by Parks, which led to his being chosen to arrange her work on Ys.

Joanna is known to debut songs impromptu at her concerts. On March 28, 2009, she performed over two hours of new material at a 'secret' concert in Big Sur, California with fellow Nevada City singer-songwriter Mariee Sioux under the pseudonym 'The Beatles's'. Those in attendance reported that about one-third of her new material was played primarily on piano, with a backing arrangement of banjo, violin, guitar and drums.

Since late 2006, Joanna has performed a solo harp version of the Robert Burns poem "Ca the Yowes Tae the Knowes.

Several of the songs on The Milk-Eyed Mender have been covered by her peers. "Bridges and Balloons" was covered by The Decemberists on their 2005 EP Picaresqueties. "Sprout and the Bean" has been covered by The Moscow Coup Attempt and Sholi. "Peach, Plum, Pear" has been covered by Final Fantasy (Owen Pallett) on the 2006 EP Young Canadian Mothers, as well as by Straylight Run. M Ward has played "Sadie" at some of his live shows.

In 2009, she appeared in the music video for the song "Kids" by the group MGMT.

On January 12, 2010, an entry cryptically entitled "@!?*(%$#!!" was posted on the Drag City website. It contained a link which led to a short comic strip titled "Joanna Newsom 'Have One on Me'" with a date of February 23, 2010. Later that day, it was confirmed by Spunk, Newsom's Australian label, that the title and date represented the title of Newsom's upcoming album and its release date. P-Vine Records in Japan announced that Have One on Me, which was recorded in Tokyo in 2009, would be released in Japan on March 3, 2010, as a 3-disc CD set, with a total of approximately three hours of new recordings. Newsom was chosen by Matt Groening to perform at the edition of the All Tomorrow's Parties festival he curated in May 2010 in Minehead, England.

Style

Newsom's earlier work was strongly influenced by polyrhythms. Her harp teacher, Diana Stork, taught her the basic pattern of four beats against three which creates an interlocking, shifting pattern that can be heard on Ys, particularly in the middle section of "Sawdust & Diamonds." After Ys, Newsom said she had lost interest in polyrhythms. They "stopped being fascinating to me and started feeling wanky.

The media have sometimes labeled her as one of the most prominent members of the modern psych folk movement. Joanna, however, makes no ties to any particular music scene. Her songwriting incorporates elements of Appalachian music and avant-garde modernism.

Newsom's vocal style (in the November 2006 issue of The Wire she described her voice as "untrainable") has shadings of folk and Appalachian shaped-note timbres. Newsom has, however, expressed disappointment at comments that her singing is "child-like.

Critics noticed a change in Newsom's voice on her latest album. In the spring of 2009, Newsom developed vocal cord nodules and could not speak or sing for two months. The recovery from the nodules and further "vocal modifications" changed her voice.

Collaborations

In addition to her solo work, Newsom has played on records by Smog, Vetiver, Nervous Cop, The Year Zero, Vashti Bunyan, Moore Brothers, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Golden Shoulders and The Roots and played keyboards for The Pleased.

Discography

The Milk-Eyed Mender (Drag City, 2004)

Ys (Drag City, 2006) US #134, UK #41

Have One on Me (Drag City, 2010) US #75, UK #28

Early unofficial recordings

Walnut Whales (self-released, 2002)

Yarn and Glue (self-released, 2003)

EPs

Joanna Newsom and the Ys Street Band (Drag City, 2007) UK #135

Singles

"Sprout and the Bean" (Drag City, 2004)

"What We Have Known" (Drag City, 2011)

Licensing of songs

In 2004, "Peach, Plum, Pear" played over the credits of the animated short City Paradise.

In 2004, "This Side of the Blue" was used on a British television commercial for Orange SA.

In 2006, "Sprout and the Bean" was used in a tourism ad for Melbourne, Australia.

In 2007, "Clam, Crab, Cockle, Cowrie" was used in the PBS documentary Following Sean.

In 2007, "Clam, Crab, Cockle, Cowrie" was sung by an aspiring musician in the film Great World of Sound.

In 2008, "Sprout and the Bean" was featured in the film The Strangers.

In 2008, "Clam, Crab, Cockle, Cowrie" was used in a television commercial for HSBC.

In 2008, "The Book of Right-On" was used in an MTV ad for sexual care and education.

In 2009, "The Book of Right-On" was licensed for the end credits of the Mexican/Italian film The Best of Feelings

In 2009, "Sprout and the Bean" was used in a Victoria's Secret Bra commercial.

In 2009, the harp intro of "Cosmia" was used in the Louis Theroux documentary "A Place for Paedophiles."

In 2009, "Sprout and the Bean" was used again in a tourism ad for Melbourne, Australia.

In 2009, a shorter edit of "Inflammatory Writ" was used in ads for the Spanish TV channel La Sexta 

In 2010, "Bridges & Balloons" was used in an LG commercial.

Andy Samberg

David Andrew "Andy" Samberg,  born August 18, 1978 is an American actor, comedian, rapper and writer best known as a member of the comedy group The Lonely Island and as a cast member on Saturday Night Live. On Saturday Night Live, he and The Lonely Island have been credited with popularizing the Emmy-winning SNL Digital Shorts, the comical short films and music videos starring Samberg and other members of the SNL cast. As a film actor, Samberg has appeared in Hot Rod, Space Chimps, Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, I Love You, Man, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, and Friends With Benefits.

Early life

Samberg was born in Mill Valley, California, the son of Margi (née Marrow), an elementary school teacher who taught at Old Mill School, and Joe Samberg, a photographer. Samberg also has two sisters, Johanna and Darrow. He was raised in a Jewish household. His maternal grandfather, Alfred J. Marrow, served as the executive chair of the American Jewish Congress, although Samberg describes himself as "not particularly religious. Samberg discovered Saturday Night Live as a youngster while sneaking past his parents to watch professional wrestling on television. He became "obsessed" with the show, and his devotion to comedy became frustrating to teachers who felt he was unfocused on his schoolwork.

Samberg graduated from Berkeley High School in 1996. While there, he became interested in creative writing; he says that his writing classes "were the ones that I put all my effort into...that's what I cared about and that's what I ended up doing. He attended college at University of California, Santa Cruz for two years before transferring to New York University for its acclaimed film school. He majored in experimental film, where he starred as "Monkey" in the short film "Monkey vs. Robot.

Career

Samberg is a member of the comedy troupe The Lonely Island (along with Jorma Taccone and Akiva Schaffer) whose debut album Incredibad was released in 2009, and is currently a cast member on Saturday Night Live. The trio began writing for Saturday Night Live in 2005. Samberg also appeared in a Super Bowl XLIII Pepsi commercial featuring Justin Timberlake, and hosted the 2009 MTV Movie Awards. He also appeared on a Jack Johnson music video, "At Or with Me".

Saturday Night Live

In September 2005, The Lonely Island confirmed that Samberg would be joining Saturday Night Live as a featured player and his fellow group members would join the show's writing staff. While his live sketch roles were limited in his first year, he appeared in many non-live sketches, including commercial parodies and various other filmed segments.

For the December 17, 2005, show, he and Chris Parnell starred in the Digital Short "Lazy Sunday", a nerdcore hip hop song performed by two Manhattanites on a quest to see the film The Chronicles of Narnia. The short quickly became an Internet phenomenon and garnered Samberg significant media and public attention, as did "Dick in a Box," a duet with Justin Timberlake that won a Creative Arts Emmy for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics. Samberg has found success with the song "Jizz in My Pants," which garnered over 100 million views on YouTube. His comedy troupe's collaboration with T-Pain, the "I'm on a Boat" music video, had over 56 million views on YouTube after debuting on February 7, 2009, and was nominated for a Grammy Award. Another digital short, "Motherlover" (also featuring Timberlake), was released on May 10, 2009 (to commemorate Mother's Day), and is a sequel of "Dick in a Box.On December 12, 2010, Samberg and the other members of the Lonely Island debuted their next digital short, titled "I Just Had Sex." The video, which has already gathered over 113 million views on YouTube, features R&B singer Akon, with cameos by former tennis professional John McEnroe, and actresses Blake Lively and Jessica Alba. On January 29, 2011, The Lonely Island released another single from its upcoming second album titled "The Creep" featuring Nicki Minaj. This was followed on May 7, 2011 with the song "Jack Sparrow" which featured Michael Bolton.

Filmography

2004 Premium Blend Himself TV

2005 Arrested Development Stage Manager TV

2005–present Saturday Night Live Various Roles TV

2007 Scarred Himself TV

Hot Rod Rod Kimble Movie

2008 Space Chimps Ham III Voice; Movie

Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist Homeless Guy Movie

2009 I Love You, Man Robbie Klaven Movie

2009 MTV Movie Awards Host TV

Boomerang (TV network) Lou the Director Boy TV Presenter in Boomerang (TV network)

Bollywood Hero Himself TV

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs Baby Brent/Chicken Brent Voice; Movie

Yo Gabba Gabba! Himself TV

2010 Freaknik: The Musical Chad Voice; TV

The Sarah Silverman Program Troy TV

Parks and Recreation Carl TV

18th ESPY Awards Paul the Octopus TV

Take Two with Phineas and Ferb Himself TV

2011 What's Your Number? John Miller Movie

Adventure Time Party Pat Voice; TV

Friends with Benefits Quincy Movie

SpongeBob SquarePants Nathan Fishwyn Voice; TV

Shark Week Himself Host; TV

2012 I Hate You, Dad Movie

Shark Week Begins With Andy Samberg

It's that time of year when the Discovery Channel unleashes its insanely popular Shark Week programming where we can get up close and personal with the animal we love to hate. If tuning into content via your 40+ inch High-Definition TV isn't enough, the Discovery Channel has released the Shark Week Live app that offers real-time entertainment on your iOS device that corresponds with the live programming.

From July 31st, to August 5th, viewers using the app using the during the live broadcasts will be treated to exclusive behind-the-scenes content synchronized to the show. If just getting extra knowledge about the sea monsters isn't enough, you can compete against other users by answering shark week Live trivia and receiving points for every correct answer. Finally, the app has built-in social networking features that let you chat with other people who are also watching the live broadcast and using the app. If there are other fans outside of the app who are chatting about the show and using the #sharkweek hashtag, those comments will be pulled into the app's stream as well.

Narration will be heavy on machismo, the soundtracks will veer between horror-movie strings and staccato, annoy-your-neighbors bass lines, and the whole thing will be overseen by Andy Samberg. We're not exactly sure why, and we're certainly not complaining, but the "Saturday Night Live" funnyman has been appointed Discovery's first-ever Chief Shark Officer. Tops among his awesome responsibilities, we found out during a chat with Samberg and his Lonely Islands pals this spring, is the requirement that the CSO taunt all non-CSOs.

Chief Shark Officer! In your face, other dudes!" he cracked.

We're kind of the Chief Shark brain trust on this," Jorma Taccone offered.

No, you guys haven't helped me at all on this," Samberg shot back with killer instinct.

So it's Samberg and Samberg alone guiding us through the hazards and happiness of Shark Week. Can he handle the pressure? After debuting in 1987, the weeklong block of programming was watched by almost 31 million people last year — the highest-rated shark-themed week in Discovery's history. Samberg ain't scared.

I've already been in the water with sharks," he said of a trip to the Bahamas to shoot promotional material for the week.

Romney Bachmann Oppose Debt Deal

A new "super" political action committee supportive of former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney has raised more than $12 million, drawing on big-dollar donations to help the former Republican governor in his bid for the White House.

The Restore Our Future super PAC includes $100,000 apiece from corporations like Utah-based Eli Publishing Inc., and wealthy donors like John Paulson, founder of the New York-based Paulson & Co. hedge fund.

Marriott International Inc. CEO J.W. Marriot Jr. gave a half-million dollars to Romney's group, as did Marriot's brother, Richard, the chairman of Host Hotels and Resorts. The CEO of New York hedge fund Moore Capital Management, Louis Moore Bacon, also opened his wallet for $500,000.

The 89 contributions during the first six months of 2011 came from a large swath of the country, from Los Angeles to Boston, Federal Election Commission filings show.

Nearly all of Restore Our Future's donations were greater than $5,000, the maximum allowed for both the primary and general elections had the contributions gone to Romney's official presidential committee. But super PACs like Restore Our Future — an outside group not officially connected with Romney — can receive unlimited funds from individuals and corporations, thanks in part to the 2010 Supreme Court ruling in Citizens United.

The $12.2 million donated to Restore our Future, founded by former Romney aides, contrasts the $18.4 million raised from April through June by the official committee Romney for President.

My plan would have produced a budget that was cut, capped and balanced -- not one that opens the door to higher taxes and puts defense cuts on the table,” Romney, a former Massachusetts governor, said in a statement released by his campaign. “I personally cannot support this deal.”

Senate and House leaders are racing to push through a bipartisan compromise sealed with President Barack Obama last night that would raise the U.S. debt limit by at least $2.1 trillion and slash government spending by $2.4 trillion or more. The House plans votes today and the Senate may follow suit to consider the agreement, which was reached during a weekend of negotiations.

Romney’s statement followed one released yesterday by Representative Michele Bachmann of Minnesota, a favorite of the Tea Party movement and another Republican presidential candidate, that also criticized the deal.

“The president continues to press for a ‘balanced approach,’ which everyone knows is code for increased spending and taxes,” she said in her statement. “Throughout this process the president has failed to lead and failed to provide a plan. The ‘deal’ he announced spends too much and doesn’t cut enough. This isn’t the deal the American people ‘preferred’ either, Mr. President. Someone has to say no. I will.

Casey Anthony to serve probation for old check fraud case

Casey Anthony, the young Florida woman who was acquitted of murdering her daughter Caylee in a widely-watched trial last month, might have to return to Orlando in a case related to a previous check fraud conviction.

Associated Press reported that Anthony (whose whereabouts since she was freed from prison have been a mystery) might have to turn herself in to a probation officer within three days.

Circuit Judge Stan Strickland, who sentenced Anthony for check fraud last year, signed a "corrected" version of the probation order under which she was required to begin a one-year term after her release from jail, not while she was detained awaiting her murder trial.

Strickland put in the phrases "the defendant is to report to probation upon release" for each of the seven counts of check-fraud that Anthony pled guilty to last January.

Anthony reportedly used checks that she had stolen from a friend.

Anthony, 25, was released from jail in Orlando last month without any restrictions placed on her freedom after her acquittal on a murder charge connected to the 2008 death of her 2-year-old daughter Caylee.

Her whereabouts have not been publicly disclosed in the weeks since her release.

The probation stems from a separate case. Anthony pleaded guilty in January 2010 to check fraud charges resulting from purchases she made after Caylee's death using the checking account of one of Anthony's best friends.

Anthony was sentenced to the 412 days she had already spent in jail, to be followed by a year of probation.

Jail officials concluded that her probation period was completed in the course of the 18 subsequent months she spent in jail awaiting trial on the murder charge.

But the judge who sentenced Anthony in the check fraud case has clarified his intent, said Leesa Bainbridge, spokeswoman for the clerk's office.

"It was to make it perfectly clear that she was to serve probation upon release," Bainbridge said.

Bainbridge said only Judge Stan Strickland and a deputy clerk were present when Strickland signed documents on Monday related to the probation issue.

Jim McDermott

James Adelbert "Jim" McDermott, born December 28, 1936 is the U.S. Representative for Washington's 7th congressional district, serving since 1989. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The 7th District includes most of Seattle and Vashon Island, and portions of Shoreline, Lake Forest Park, Tukwila, SeaTac, and Burien.

He serves on the House Ways and Means Committee and is a member of the House Progressive Caucus. He was formerly the ranking Democrat on the House Ethics Committee.

Early life, education, and family

McDermott was born in Chicago, Illinois. He was the first member of his family to attend college; he graduated from Wheaton College, Illinois, and then went to medical school, getting an M.D. from the University of Illinois College of Medicine in Chicago in 1963. After completing an internship from 1963 to 1964 at Buffalo General Hospital in Buffalo, New York, a two-year psychiatry residency at the University of Illinois Research and Educational Hospital (now called University of Illinois Research Hospital), and fellowship training in child psychiatry from 1966 to 1968 at the University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle, he served in the United States Navy Medical Corps as a psychiatrist in California during the Vietnam War. He is married to Therese Hansen, an attorney, and has two grown children.

Early political career

In 1970, McDermott made his first run for public office and was elected to the state legislature as a representative from the 43rd district. He did not seek re-election in 1972 but instead ran unsuccessfully for Governor of Washington. In 1974, he ran for the state senate, and subsequently was re-elected three times, to successive four-year terms. During this time, he crafted and sponsored legislation that would eventually be called the Washington State Basic Health Plan, the first such state program in the country, which offers health insurance to the unemployed and the working poor. In 1980, while still a state senator, McDermott defeated incumbent Dixy Lee Ray in the Democratic primary for governor, but lost the general election to Republican John Spellman. He ran again in 1984, losing the primary to Booth Gardner, who then went on to defeat Spellman in the election.

In 1987, McDermott briefly left politics to become a Foreign Service medical officer based in Zaire, providing psychiatric services to Foreign Service, USAID, and Peace Corps personnel in sub-Saharan Africa.

In 1988, when the seat for Washington's 7th congressional district came open, McDermott returned from Africa to run.

Political campaigns

McDermott has consistently received strong support from his district, taking 83% of the popular vote in 2010, easily winning against independent challenger Bob Jeffers-Schroder. No Republican filed to contest the election in 2010.

Boehner v. McDermott

In December 2004, the House Ethics Committee investigated McDermott over the leaking of an illegally recorded telephone conversation during a 1997 committee investigation of then-Speaker Newt Gingrich.

In the conversation, Mr. Gingrich, his lawyer and several other Republican Congressmen discussed how Gingrich's Congressional allies should deal with the political consequences of his admission that he had violated House ethics rules by giving inaccurate information to the House Ethics Committee for its inquiry into his use of tax-exempt funds. Democrats have described the conversation as evidence that Mr. Gingrich broke an agreement with the Ethics Committee that he would not orchestrate a politically-motivated response to those committee findings.

The recording was made by John and Alice Martin, who claimed that they had overheard the conversation on a police scanner, decided to record it for posterity's sake, and then decided that it might be important for the Ethics Committee to hear. The Martins gave the tape to McDermott because he was the senior Democrat on the Ethics Committee at that time. Within two days, reportedly after the Republican Ethics Committee Chair Nancy L. Johnson refused to allow a vote on making the tape part of the committee's records, sending the tape to the Justice Department, or taking any action against the participants in the conversation, and over the warning of the Committee's legal counsel of possible legal liability, McDermott gave the tape to several media outlets, including the New York Times.

Rep. John Boehner, who was part of the Gingrich conversation, sued McDermott in his capacity as a private citizen, seeking punitive damages for violations of his First Amendment rights. After U.S. District Judge Thomas Hogan ordered McDermott to pay Boehner for "willful and knowing misconduct" that "rises to the level of malice", McDermott appealed, arguing that since he was not the one involved in the recording, his actions were allowed under the First Amendment, and said a ruling against him would have 'a huge chilling effect' on reporters and newsmakers alike. 18 news organizations — including ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN, The Associated Press, the New York Times and the Washington Post — filed a brief backing McDermott. On March 29, 2006, the court ruled 2–1 that McDermott violated federal law when he turned over the illegally recorded tape to the media outlets, ordering McDermott to pay Boehner's legal costs (over $600,000) plus $60,000 in damages. On June 26, 2006, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit vacated the earlier judgment, deciding to re-hear the case with all nine judges.However, the split 4 to 1 to 4 en banc decision in Boehner v. McDermott, 484 F.3d 573 (D.C. Cir. 2007), affirmed the three-judge panel, but on different grounds. The Supreme Court declined McDermott's request for review. On March 31, 2008, Chief Judge Thomas Hogan of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia ordered McDermott to pay $1.05 million to Boehner, covering attorney's fees, costs and interest. McDermott also has had to pay over $60,000 in fines and close to $600,000 in his own legal fees.

The Ethics Committee formally rebuked McDermott in 2006, writing he had "violated ethics rules by giving reporters access to an illegally taped telephone call involving Republican leaders a decade ago. Rep. McDermott's secretive disclosures to the news media ... risked undermining the ethics process" and that McDermott's actions "were not consistent with the spirit of the committee. Previously, the Martins had pled guilty to violating the Electronic Communications Privacy Act. In 1997, Gingrich was reprimanded by the House for failing to ensure that he had not violated tax laws, assessed $300,000 in costs, and resigned.

Call to Impeach George W. Bush

In September of 2008, McDermott was the the eighth member of the U.S. House to sign a resolution calling for the impeachment of George W. Bush. The resolution claimed the Bush administration had committed more than a dozen impeachable acts, including misleading the American public about Iraq, spying on American citizens, and trying to "destroy Medicare." The resolution got little support from McDermott's fellow Congressmen.

McDermott to vote against debt-ceiling deal

House and Senate leaders prepared for possible votes Monday on the tentative deal to raise the government's debt ceiling and prevent a U.S. default.

Both Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and the office of House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) said the votes could come as early as Monday evening, depending on the outcome of meetings with members. Cantor's office said the House would go first.

The agreement, reached late Sunday night after a tense weekend of bargaining, gained momentum in the Senate after months of partisan rancor. A member of the Republican leadership predicted it would win at least 30 GOP votes.

Maybe 35 will support it in the end. There will be some who will pull back," Sen. Mike Crapo of Idaho, the deputy Republican whip, told reporters.

Reid opened the day's session by declaring the deal shows that the often-dysfunctional Senate can come together when it counts. "People on the right are upset, people on the left are upset, people in the middle are upset," he said. "It was a compromise."

Vice President Joe Biden, who played an instrumental role in the weekend efforts to hammer out an accord, also was on Capitol Hill to sell the plan to Senate Democrats.

But while Senate passage seemed likely, if not wholly assured, the House was far from a lock. House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) will have to win over at least some of the tea party-backed conservatives who have so far adamantly resisted anything resembling compromise.

"We'll know over the next two to three hours," freshman Rep. Tom Reed (R-NY) said when asked if Boehner had the votes in the House.

President Obama sent a video to Congress aimed at selling Democrats on the debt-ceiling agreement. "This has been a long and messy process," he said. "As with any compromise, the outcome is far from satisfying.

Jim McDermott plans to vote against the debt-ceiling deal brokered by President Obama and congressional leaders, making the Seattle Democrat the first member of the state's delegation to break ranks with his party on the issue that has consumed Congress for weeks.

McDermott's vote could come as early as this evening, when the House is expected to take up the debt deal after its anticipated approval by the Senate. Republican and Democratic whips in the House are still tallying whether they have the votes for passage, essential for averting a federal government default on Tuesday.

Kinsey Kiriakos, McDermott's spokesman, did not immediately provide a reason for his planned no vote. I expect to speak to McDermott shortly.

The debt-ceiling crisis has been exceptionally tortuous, with votes delayed twice, rejected twice (including a preemptive House vote against the Senate plan) and weeks of near-paralysis on Capitol Hill.

Through it all, members of Washington's congressional delegation stuck to partisan solidarity. All five Democratic representatives and two senators voted against the Republican plan that would have required Congress to amend the Constitution to mandate a balanced budget as a price for longer-term increases to the federal borrowing limits. All four Republican House members from Washington voted in favor.

The last-minute compromise hammered out by President Obama and Republican leaders raises the debt ceiling until after the 2012 elections. But it would cut spending by $2.1 trillion over a decade without calling for any new taxes or revenue -- a major concession for Obama, Sen. Patty Murray of Washington and other Democrats who insisted all along that any deal include "shared sacrifices" by all Americans.

Fantasia Barrino is pregnant

Fantasia Barrino surprised her audience during a charity concert Sunday in Jacksonville with some big news: She’s pregnant.

“I share this with you because I can relate to you,’’ said the American Idol winner, who did not mention the baby’s father. But the singer has been linked to Antwaun Cook, whose marriage disintegrated after news of the affair broke in 2010. Barrino later attempted suicide because she was so skewered in the press. Pics on eurweb.com show the couple in Barbados, with Barrino sporting a large bump. The couple first met in a T-Mobile store in Charlotte, N.C., where Cook was a staffer.

Singer, 27, announced the baby news in front of an audience while performing at a charity concert in Jacksonvilla, Fla., on Sunday.

"You are the first people that I share this news with," she told the audience, People magazine reports. "And I share this with you because I can relate to you. And for a while, I walked around figuring out what they will say and what will they think about me. But now I tell you, I don't live my life for folk."

"So, this child that I carry - God has given me this child. And I don't have to hide it from none of y'all," she added.

Barrino made no mention of the baby's father. She has most recently been linked to Antwaun Cook. The relationship made headlines last year when his estranged wife, Paula Cook, named Barrino in their split.

The singer has said that the negative attention surrounding her personal life drove her to attempt suicide last August, according to Entertainment Weekly.

Barrino has a 9-year-old daughter, Zion, from a previous relationship.

Fantasia Barrino

Fantasia Monique Barrino, born June 30, 1984 commonly known as Fantasia, is an American R&B singer, Broadway and television actress who rose to fame as the winner of the third season of the reality television series American Idol in 2004. Following her victory, she released her debut single, "I Believe", which debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100. Subsequently, she released her debut album, Free Yourself, which went on to be certified Platinum by the RIAA and garnered Barrino three Grammy nominations in 2006.

In 2006, she released her second album, Fantasia, which featured the single "When I See U" which topped the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart for eight weeks. The album was certified Gold by the RIAA and received three Grammy nominations in 2008. She then played the part of Celie in the Broadway musical The Color Purple, for which she won a 2007 Theatre World Award. Her third studio album, Back to Me, was released worldwide on August 24, 2010 and features the single "Bittersweet," which peaked in the top ten on the R&B chart. The single won her a Grammy for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance.

Early life

Fantasia Barrino was born and raised in High Point, North Carolina, to Joseph and Diane Barrino. The Barrino family traveled and performed in the Carolinas and elsewhere in the American South and recorded the CD Miracles for a local label.

Despite the travels, Barrino attended Andrews High School in High Point, North Carolina. After she was raped by a classmate, she was left feeling harassed and embarrassed and dropped out of high school. She became pregnant at 17, and on August 8, 2001, gave birth to her daughter, Zion Quari Barrino.Barrino then briefly moved to neighboring Greensboro, North Carolina before trying out for the American Idol Auditions in Atlanta.

Music career,American Idol

Barrino's audition version of Tina Turner's "Proud Mary" made her an early favorite in the competition. Her standout performance during the course of the show was a heartfelt staging of the Porgy and Bess standard "Summertime" that left her in tears from "feeling the song" and earned praise from the judges - Randy Jackson has called it[citation needed] the best performance in the show's history - and was named amongst the AOL's 2004 list of greatest television moments.

For the final performance of the season, Barrino offered a second performance of "Summertime" that again drew praise from the judges; Simon Cowell remarked that she was the best contestant to ever compete in any competition, including the more than seventy Idol champions crowned nationally and internationally since the show began its first global incarnations. On the finale, over 65 million votes were cast in order to determine the winner on May 26, 2004, up from 24 million in 2003. It was the highest finale vote in the show's history until the May 23, 2007 season-six finale. Barrino defeated runner-up Diana DeGarmo by 1.3 million votes. At age 19, she was the youngest American Idol winner until May 23, 2007, when the 17-year-old Jordin Sparks won the title.

Barrino participated in the U.S. tour with the other American Idol finalists and appeared in the 2004 Christmas special, Kelly, Ruben and Fantasia: Home For the Holidays as well.

Barrino's brother auditioned for the eighth season of American idol but failed to make it to the Hollywood round.

Performances

Week Theme Song Artist Order Sung Status

Semifinals Semifinal Group 1 "Something to Talk About" Bonnie Raitt 8 Advanced

Top 12 Soul music Week "Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours Stevie Wonder 6 Safe

Top 11 Country music Week "Always on My Mind" Willie Nelson 3 Safe

Top 10 Motown Week "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" Marvin Gaye 9 Safe

Top 9 Elton John "Something About the Way You Look Tonight" Elton John 1 Safe

Top 8 Cinema "Summertime" Abbie Mitchell 5 Safe

Top 7 Barry Manilow "It's a Miracle" Barry Manilow 7 Bottom 2

Top 6 Gloria Estefan "Get on Your Feet" Gloria Estefan 1 Safe

Top 5 Big Band "Crazy Little Thing Called Love"

"What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?" Queen

Barbra Streisand 5

10 Safe

Top 4 Disco "Knock on Wood"

"Holding Out for a Hero" Eddie Floyd

Bonnie Tyler 3

7 Bottom 2

Top 3 Idol's Choice

Judges' Choice

Clive Davis's Choice "Chain of Fools"

"A Fool in Love"

"Greatest Love of All" Aretha Franklin

Ike & Tina Turner

George Benson 2

4

6 Safe

Finale Contestant's Choice "All My Life"

"Summertime"

"I Believe" K-Ci and Jo-Jo

Abbie Mitchell

Fantasia (Idol Single) 2

4

6 Winner

Free Yourself

After winning American Idol, Fantasia signed to J Records with 19 Entertainment and began work on her debut album. In June 2004, she released her debut single, "I Believe", which later debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100. This number-one debut made Fantasia the first artist in history to achieve this with a first single. On the sales chart, the single spent eleven consecutive weeks at number one, giving it the longest consecutive stay on top of that chart for an American Idol contestant. The CD single, "I Believe", went on to become the top selling single of 2004 in the U.S., and has since been certified double platinum by the CRIA. Barrino also won three Billboard Music Awards for the single.

Fantasia released her debut studio album, Free Yourself, in November 2004. It debuted at number eight on the Billboard 200, selling 240,000 copies in its first week. To date, it has sold over two million copies worldwide, and was certified Platinum in the U.S. The singles "Truth Is" and "Free Yourself" became R&B hits, reaching number two and number three respectively on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, while the controversial "Baby Mama" - which critics accused of romanticizing single motherhood - reached the top twenty. Barrino did even better on the Billboard Hot Adult R&B Airplay, where she was the first artist of any kind to simultaneously hold the top two spots of the top three, and "Truth Is" spent fourteen weeks at the number one position. Barrino was named the number-one artist of the Adult Urban Contemporary format for 2005 according to the December 13, 2005 issue of Billboard magazine.

Through the spring and winter of 2005, Fantasia made many television appearances to promote her album. She played Aretha Franklin in an episode of the series American Dreams, singing "Respect", guest voiced on The Simpsons episode "A Star Is Torn", and guest starred as herself in a cameo role on the sitcom All of Us. She appeared three times as a musical guest on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. On March 25, 2005, Fantasia performed at the thirty-sixth NAACP Image Awards in honor of Illinois Senator Barack Obama after winning the award for Outstanding Female Artist. In May 2005, Fantasia went on her first tour with her own live band, with soul singers Kem and Rashaan Patterson.

Fantasia and The Color Purple on Broadway

In 2006, Barrino was nominated for three Grammy Awards for her debut album. Though she didn't win any of them, she performed at the 48th annual telecast with several artists including Aerosmith, Joss Stone, John Legend, Maroon 5, and Ciara in an all-star tribute to Sly and the Family Stone during the Grammy Award show.

In August 2006, Fantasia played herself in a Lifetime Television film based on her autobiography Life Is Not a Fairy Tale. The film was directed by Debbie Allen and debuted on the women’s cable network on August 19, 2006. The movie received nineteen million viewers throughout its debut weekend. Life Is Not a Fairy Tale: The Fantasia Barrino Story has also become Lifetime's second most viewed program of all time.

Fantasia had many musical collaborations during the fall of 2006 including a remake of The Clark Sisters' "Endow Me" which featured Faith Evans, Lil' Mo, and Coko of SWV, a remake of Stevie Wonder's 1976 song "I Wish" with Patti LaBelle and Yolanda Adams for the soundtrack to the 2006 computer-animated film Happy Feet, and most notably her duet with Aretha Franklin which was recorded at that time and later released in 2007.

She released her self-titled second effort, Fantasia, on December 12, 2006. The album involved production by Missy Elliott, Swizz Beatz, Babyface, Diane Warren, and others, and has since spawned the singles "Hood Boy" produced by Tone Mason, "When I See U", and "Only One U" and went on to be certified gold. When I See You" became her first single to top the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, remaining at the number one spot for eight consecutive weeks. The single stayed on the chart for over a year and was named #8 on the Billboard Best of The 2000s R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.

In February 2007, Fantasia appeared and performed on American Idol, and announced that she would be starring in the lead role of Celie in the Broadway musical The Color Purple, the hit musical based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning 1982 novel of the same name by Alice Walker. After appearing on American Idol and The Oprah Winfrey Show, the musical received a boost of over two million in pre-ticket sales in one week. Leading up to her first performance on April 10, 2007 the play garnered a total of 6.5 million in pre-ticket sales.

While playing the role, Fantasia earned rave reviews for her performance. Long-time Broadway critic Clive Barnes of the New York Post went on to say "... there is some elemental quality to Fantasia that is either greatness or something close to it." Upon her warm welcome to the stage Fantasia was asked to perform at the 2007 Tony Awards in a tribute to Atlanta's Alliance Theater in which The Color Purple got its start. In recognition of an outstanding stage debut performance, Fantasia was given the Theatre World Award and the Best Replacement Star Broadway.com Award. Fantasia was initially scheduled for a limited six-month engagement ending in October 2007 but had her run extended until January 6, 2008. The Color Purple box office saw a thirty-four-million-dollar jump in sales since Barrino started in the show, a third of the play's 100 million dollar earning since its debut in 2005. The New York Post reported that Barrino missed nearly fifty performances in the show, causing the producers to give back tens of thousands of dollars in refunds.

Back to Me and Fantasia for Real

Fantasia received two Grammy nominations for her sophomore release, Fantasia and subsequently began work on her third studio album in 2008. She stated on the red carpet of the 2008 Grammy Awards that the style of the new album would be a blending of the avenues she has touched musically, which include American Idol and Broadway. She also revealed that she would be writing some of the album's songs and would collaborate again with Missy Elliott, The Underdogs, and Midi Mafia, who produced one of her biggest hits, "When I See U".

Midi Mafia produced the majority of Fantasia's third studio album. Also, hip hop duo Rock City were confirmed to be writing for the new project. At the time, they had recorded four songs together. She also worked with songwriter/producer Rich King (Brandy "1st and love", Randy Jackson Music club vol.1, John Legend's "Quickly"), which spawned two songs with for her third release. KP, Eric Hudson and Raphael Saadiq are a few people that also became involved on the project. Fantasia confirmed that about 75% of the album was complete by mid-2009, and that fans should've expected a new single by the fall of 2009, with the album due to be released in early 2010. This was later delayed, and while recording her new album, Fantasia decided to do a great deal of it the "old fashioned way," inviting a live orchestra to record in the studio with her.

Fantasia was then cast by Oprah Winfrey as Celie in the film adaptation of The Color Purple musical, which began production after the release of her third album, as Fantasia confirmed to MTV News on March 5, 2008.

In June 2008, Entertainment Weekly reported that Fantasia was dropped from 19 Entertainment because of creative differences, however, she will remain with 19 Recordings and J Records. She also revealed that after the release of her third album, she plans to release a gospel album.[19] She performed with her mother, Diane Barrino, in a Thanksgiving special on BET's Bobby Jones Gospel. Fantasia also appeared on Jennifer Hudson's self-titled album, on the song "I'm His Only Woman", which was nominated for a 2009 Grammy Award, though it did not win.

Personal life

In September 2005, Barrino published a memoir, dictated to a freelance writer, titled Life Is Not a Fairy Tale. The book became a New York Times best-seller, reaching number seven on the list. In it, she revealed she is functionally illiterate and was unable to read the text of contracts she signed or to read to her then four-year-old daughter. In 2006, following the release of her autobiography, Life Is Not a Fairy Tale, Barrino's father sued her for $10 million after she said unflattering things about him in the book that he claimed were false.

On December 9, 2008, The Charlotte Observer reported that Barrino's 6,600-square-foot (610 m2), lakefront home in Charlotte's Glynmoor Lakes at Piper Glen community was in foreclosure and would be up for auction. Her 4,500-square-foot (420 m2) home, also in Piper Glen, is unaffected. On January 8, 2010, an agreement was reached to not auction Barrino's home.

Her uncles, The Barrino Brothers, were a 1970s R&B band.

An August 2010 divorce filing in Mecklenburg County District Court alleges that Barrino has had a year-long relationship with Antwaun Cook, who was married. Barrino claimed the two began dating after Cook and his wife separated.

On August 9, 2010, Barrino was hospitalized in Pineville, North Carolina, due to overdosing on aspirin and an unknown sleep aid. Dickens said, "'Her injuries are not life threatening … she was dehydrated and exhausted at the time.The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department classified the incident as a suicide attempt. In transcript segments released the day before an August 24, 2010, interview on the VH1 series Behind the Music, Barrino confirmed the incident was a suicide attempt, saying, "I didn't care about anything. I just wanted out. At that moment I wanted out. I wanted it to be over with. Barrino denied rumors that the incident was a publicity stunt.

Afterward, Barrino said, "Music saved me. When I went in the hospital, I went into the computer room, and I looked up artists who've been through things, artists who sing from their soul. I took my cues from them, and I just put my mind and everything into music. She also relied on her family, something she had not done earlier in her career. Barrino testified in court that she aborted her and Cook's fetus around the time of her failed suicide attempt.

Filmography

Life Is Not a Fairy Tale (2006) as herself

Mahalia! (2011) (as Mahalia Jackson; lead role in the film)

Theatre

The Color Purple (2007) as Celie

Soul Kitten's Cabaret (2010) (Good Conscience)

Television appearances

American Idol (2004) (Contestant/Winner in 2004 and has made numerous musical guest appearances on seasons afterwards)

The Simpsons (2005) She plays Clarissa Wellington in the episode A Star is Torn.

An Evening of Stars: Tribute to Aretha Franklin (2007)(Herself; tribute performer singing "Rock Steady" & "Baby I Love You")

An Evening of Stars: Tribute to Patti LaBelle (2009) (Herself; tribute performer singing "Lady Marmalade" and "Somebody Loves You Baby (You Know Who It Is)")

Soul Train Awards (2009;Tribute to Chaka Khan singing "Tell Me Something Good")

Celebration of Gospel (Appeared in numerous years singing)

Fantasia for Real (2010–present)

Wrestlemania 26 (2010) (singing America the Beautiful)

Black Girls Rock (2010) (Herself, singing "A Brand New Day" and "I'm Every Woman")

An Evening of Stars: Tribute to Chaka Khan (2011) (Herself; tribute performer singing "Tell Me Something Good")

RuPaul's Drag Race (2011) (Celebrity Guest Judge on Season 3)

American Idol (2011) (guest performer Season 10)