William Jefferson, the former U.S. congressman from Louisiana who was convicted of corruption after federal agents found $90,000 in his freezer, has filed for bankruptcy. A chapter 7 liquidation petition filed last week by Jefferson and his wife, Andrea, reveals that the couple owes between $1 million and $10 million to about 50 creditors. The petition also lists their estimated assets as being worth between $10 and $50 million. When someone files for chapter 7 bankruptcy liquidation, their assets are sold and the cash goes to creditors. Some property may be exempt from sale. In early August, Jefferson was convicted of peddling his congressional influence to land his wife and children lucrative contracts in Africa. In addition to guilty verdicts for bribery, racketeering, and money laundering, the jury ruled that Jefferson, who was a member of the Congressional Black Caucus and several key congressional committees, must relinquish about $470,000 in bribery receipts. When he was elected nearly two decades ago, Jefferson became the first Black congressman from Louisiana since Reconstruction. In 2005, the FBI raided his Capitol Hill home and found the $90,000 in bribe money wrapped in foil and stashed in frozen-food boxes. Prosecutors told jurors that the money was to secure the vice president of Nigeria’s help with a telecommunications venture.

Some 90,000 people in the United States could die by the time the swine flu gets through with its deadly rampage, according to a new report. Hardest hit by the flu, also known as the H1N1 virus, would be children and young adults, a presidential advisory panel said in the report, released Monday. If the flu resurges this fall, as anticipated, between 30 percent and 50 percent of the U.S. population could be infected by winter, flooding the nation’s hospitals with as many as 1.8 million patients, the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology reported. A “plausible scenario” projects that  30,000 to 90,000 Americans would die as a result of large outbreaks at schools, inadequate antiviral supplies and the virus peaking before vaccinations have time to be effective. Up to 40,000 U.S. deaths are linked to seasonal flu each year, with most of the fatalities occurring among people over 65. With seasonal flu and H1N1, this fall is expected to bring more influenza deaths and place “enormous stress” on intensive care units nationwide, which normally operate near capacity, the report says. The presidential panel advises government agencies to prepare several “planning scenarios” to determine demand for supplies and care; set up surveillance systems to track information about influenza-like illnesses; develop plans to protect the public’s most vulnerable groups, such as pregnant women and those with pre-existing medical conditions; speed up the production of the H1N1 vaccine and have an initial batch – enough to vaccinate up to 40 million people, especially those who are at risk of serious disease – by mid-September.

Janet Jackson will unveil lingerie line

Singer Janet Jackson has already exposed at least one part of her body to the world. Now she wants to dress down fans and other ladies who may get some sexy inspiration from her new line of lingerie. The Pleasure Principle line, named after one of Jackson’s earlier hit songs, will go retail in the United States later this year. Stores in Australia and elsewhere will also sell the intimate apparel. Pleasure Principle clothing will reportedly be sold for under $40. Wardrobe malfunction components not included.

Bobby Brown hit with over $90,000 in fees.

One of the most high-profile divorces in R&B music’s history carried a high price tag. The end of singer Bobby Brown’s marriage to pop diva Whitney Houston reportedly left him with a debt of $90,217 in unpaid legal fees. Lawyers who represented Brown have filed suit to collect on the tab. Earlier this year, word of Brown’s plans for a tell-all book that included dirty details of his marriage to Houston went public. The book is said to be on hold.

DMX pushes “This Life of Mine.”

Could there be a method to rapper DMX’s legal madness? Seems that some of the currently jailed performer’s recent antics, including over a half-dozen arrests since the spring, have provided material for a new reality show. Previously broadcast on BET, “DMX: Soul of a Man” followed the star in his day-to-day trek from his home in Phoenix to road appearances and beyond. Now the rapper, who faces charges ranging from drug possession to identity fraud, says he has a second reality series in the works. “In many ways, my life has been an open book,” X tells AllHipHop.com. “I haven’t always been the one writing the story. With this show, however, people will get to see and hear with their own eyes and ears what really goes on in my life, and I think they’ll come to understand me a little bit better with each episode.” The new show’s working title is “DMX: This Life of Mine.” Multiple networks have reportedly expressed their interest.