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Overnight Briefing & General Reality Check - May 29, 2012
May 29, 2012
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Afghanistan:
A new milestone in the Afghan War: It has claimed the 3000th soldier.
The distinction belongs to Petty Officer 1st Class RYAN J WILSON. The 26-year-old sailor was serving in Bahrain, where he was assigned to the U-S Naval Forces Central Command. American engagement in Afghanistan began in October 2001, and Wilson was the 1,974th American to die in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, the ongoing mission in Afghanistan.
Among the 50 other coalition countries, Britain has the second-largest number of dead in support of the mission, with 414 fatalities. (Maiman)Sucking the life out of the wire services:
Add BEYONCE's name to the short list of gals that pop right back into shape after leaving labor and delivery. RadarOnline.com was on-hand when the superstar hit the stage in Atlantic City, New Jersey, over the weekend and announced to the crowd that she's lost 60-pounds since giving birth to little BLUE IVY! B put in a lot of work on the treadmill, ate loads of lettuce and was ready to get "chocolate wasted!" Some big names popped by for the performance --bystanders tell Us Weekly that GAYLE KING sat with FIRST LADY MICHELLE OBAMA and her two daughters, MALIA andf SASHA. (Lee)
MARY J. BLIGE is a diva without a dime. The New York Post says her charity, the Foundation for the Advancement of Women has no office, no phone number, and a big hole where hundreds of thousand of dollars in donations used to be. And, the not-for-profit also didn't file tax returns for 2010. Mary J. and her charity partner STEVE STOUTE now have two lawsuits filed against them. One is from the musicians who performed at the charity's 2011 fund raiser. They claim they still haven't been paid. The other is for default on a 250,000-dollar loan. (Marino)
What's hot in Hollywood from Star magazine:
--Pepsi Next, a low-calorie cola with 60 percent less sugar than the original
--Dylan Triple Zip shoulder bag in amethyst from Linea Pelle, $295 dollars at www.lpcollection.com
--Rimmel London's Volume Flash ScandalEyes Mascara, seven bucks at most drug stores
--Keep It Sweet Desserts Cookie of the Month club, www.keepitsweetdesserts.comFashion Emergency:
There's a new line of novelty rubber bracelets that let you wear your 'Relationship Status' right on your sleeve. The "Buump Relationship Bracelets" (that's Buump with the double-u) are inspired by Facebook's Relationship Status updates. NY Magazine's The Cut says they're like "a hybrid of Livestrong and Silly Bandz."
The bands have been big in Europe, and are now making their U-S debut. Reality star KRISTEN CAVALLARI and designer BETSEY JOHNSON have been seen wearing them. The company says that "By collecting and combining them in different ways, these bracelets enable people to take their online status into the real world." The silicon bracelets come in 10 different colors and in two different types: one that defines your current relationship status, and one that states what you're looking for.
Here's a sampling of your current relationship options, according to Facebook:
--Single
--In a Relationship
--Engaged
--Married
--It's Complicated
--In an open Relationship
--Widowed
--Separated
--Divorced
--In a civil union
--In a domestic partnership (Bartha)Popped by the cops:
Adult-film star JENNA JAMESON was arrested early last Friday morning after crashing into a pole in the city of Westminster, south of Los Angeles. Police on the scene said the 38-year-old porn star's blood-alcohol level was over the legal limit, and she was booked on suspicion of drunk driving.
One officer told the LA Times: "We received a 911 call that Jenna had collided into a pole."
Editor's note: There's a joke there, but I'm too big a man to make it. Ahem. (Ross) -
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