. More than 30 banks nationwide received letters containing a suspicious powder and threats Tuesday, authorities said. JPMorgan Chase & Co. banks were the primary targets in what might be an extreme backlash to the nation’s economic crisis. Tuesday afternoon, the Federal Home Loan Bank, a Chase Bank subsidiary in Atlanta, , reported receiving a suspicious letter with white powder and a threat. The powder was later found to be harmless. Law enforcement officials said the letters were also mailed to Chase bank branches in or near Chicago; Columbus, Ohio; Dallas; Denver; Newark, N.J.; New York City; Oklahoma City and Washington, D.C. They all appear to be from the same source and began showing up at the banks on Monday, according to the official, who spoke to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly. A second law enforcement official, also speaking anonymously, said authorities were looking into whether the letters were sent in anger because of the economic crisis. Authorities would not release the text of the letters, but Gary Johnson, a spokesman at the FBI field office in Oklahoma City, said the threat was “based on past actions of the bank” and that the letters implied that the opener was going to die. U.S. Postal Inspector JoJan Henderson confirmed that the letters appeared to be related. The U.S. Postal Service and state and local officials also were investigating.

“Urban street terrorists” hit Philly Dunkin Donuts.  Police are tracking an armed crew – which Upper Darby’s top cop called “urban street terrorists” – that has hit three area Dunkin’ Donuts locations in broad daylight. In the latest attack, the robbers hit a Dunkin’ Donuts on West Chester Pike in Upper Darby, Pa., Friday afternoon. In surveillance footage from the robbery Upper Darby Police Superintendent Michael Chitwood released Monday, a man shoves a gun in the manager’s face, then hurdles over the front counter before his hooded accomplices join him. “We gotta get these guys off the street. They’re going to kill somebody,” Chitwood said. “I cannot emphasize it enough: These guys are really, really dangerous.” One of the suspects, believed to be Black males in their 20s, struck the manager in the head with his gun as she was led to the safe. Philadelphia Police spokeswoman Officer Christine O’Brien said detectives are investigating two Dunkin’ Donuts robberies in West Philly that they believe are linked to the Upper Darby case.

Mike Jones is left bloody in scrap with Trae the Truth.

A reported fight backstage at the Ozone Awards left rapper Mike Jones with a bloody face after he apparently took a punch from Trae the Truth. The Houston rhymers apparently argued before at least one blow was exchanged. Jones is shown on Web video with a facial injury from the scrap. Trae released a video of his own, saying Jones had been “running his mouth too much.” He adds, “It’s a good thing it happened before the awards and I didn’t f**k up the awards.” Maybe Trae’s a candidate for “From G’s to Gents” after all.

Michael Misick and LisaRaye separate

Michael Misick, the premier of Turks and Caicos, who has been accused by his actress wife LisaRaye of cheating on her, released a statement late Tuesday acknowledging that the high-profile couple has split up. “I am announcing that I am separated from LisaRaye McCoy-Misick,” he told BET in a statement. “I am committed to dissolving the marriage amicably. I believe that this is a private matter and will have no further comments. I hope that our privacy will be respected.”

Tyra wants performers to move over for up-and-comers. Talk show host and “America’s Top Model” star Tyra Banks says Hollywood actresses and performers are taking contracts from the new breed of supermodels. Without calling names, Tyra observes that singers and actresses are recruited for product endorsements. “I think all supermodels now are losing out to celebrities,” says ex-model Banks. “It’s celebrities who are getting the cosmetics contracts.” Beyoncé and Queen Latifah are among the faces associated with cosmetics lines. Beyoncé recently drew some criticism for her appearance in a L’Oreal ad that some suggest depicts her with digitally lightened skin.

Deceased mom of rap star is object of foreclosure effort.

Northern Trust Bank is asking for $606,983.43 cents to prevent the foreclosure of rapper Kanye West’s late mother’s L.A. home. Donda West died last year of complications from cosmetic surgery. Her estate matters have been handled by the rapper, but he has not commented on the alleged bank debt. A former Chicago professor, Donda West also doubled as Kanye’s business associate.

King mag lists worst model-turned-actress gigs.

Oscar win aside, Halle Berry has a worst performance of all time, according to King magazine. Berry is named as the top offender on the publication’s list of most dreadful model-turned-actress film showings for her role in Gothika. Following Berry were Garcelle Beauvais for her part in Wild, Wild West and Tyra Banks for Coyote Ugly. Cameron Diaz (Any Given Sunday) and Cindy Crawford (Fair Game) also made the unfortunate top five.

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Singer’s appearance blocked by show’s postponement. It may be a while before India.Arie fans see the singer on stage after a financial backer has reportedly pulled out of the production “For Colored Girls Who Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf.” Arie was slated to act in the popular Ntozake Shange “choreopoem.” But the production is on hold indefinitely.

The new guidelines are being praised, but more initiatives are needed
The feds are cracking down on unscrupulous mortgage lenders, who have disproportionately preyed on African-American and Hispanic borrowers. On Monday, the Federal Reserve agreed unanimously to a series of new rules designed to make it considerably more difficult to strap unsuspecting victims with “sub-prime mortgages,” the high-interest, high-risk loans that are behind the worst housing crisis in U.S. history. Even though the new standards won’t help the millions of homeowners currently floundering in mortgage quicksand, they will likely prevent other unsuspecting victims from stepping into a trap. “The proposed final rules are intended to protect consumers from unfair or deceptive acts and practices in mortgage lending, while keeping credit available to qualified borrowers and supporting sustainable homeownership,” said Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke. “Besides offering broader protection for consumers, a uniform set of rules will level the playing field for lenders and increase competition in the mortgage market, to the ultimate benefit of borrowers.” While many housing and minority advocates are giving positive marks for the plan, they say many more initiatives are needed to help struggling homeowners. The NAACP has filed a major class-action lawsuit against 17 if the largest mortgage lenders, claiming that they systematically targeted African-American and Hispanic potential borrowers with the sub-prime loans, even when they have better credit ratings than White borrowers.