The county chief is being accused of hatching a very un-American plot

The head of the Michigan’s Macomb County Republican Party, which is in a key swing county in the upcoming presidential election, denied charges late Thursday that he had hatched a plot to block residents with foreclosed homes from voting in November. Read more about the alleged plot at BET.com/News.

Spike Lee says actor would “kill” as James Brown

If he can resolve his legal issues in an appeal of this spring’s verdict convicting him of tax violations, Wesley Snipes has a big role waiting for him. Director Spike Lee wants to produce a film based on the life of music legend James Brown, and says Snipes is the man to lead it. “He’s a phenomenal actor, and I truly feel that he’ll regain that power he once had,” Lee tells King magazine. “If my James Brown picture ever gets made, he’ll be playing James, and he’d kill in that, without a doubt. He still has chops.”

Michael Jackson’s underwear up for sale

Now you can know Michael Jackson like few fans have ever known him before: On-line shoppers who visit e-Bay may come across his Calvin Klein underwear. Though reportedly unwashed, the briefs come in a freshly sealed bag: They were taken as evidence by the Santa Barbara district attorney in 2003 when the singer faced child molestation charges. New Jersey businessman Henry Vacarro bought the unmentionables in a bankruptcy-related sale. No word on whether Vacarro called Mike to be sure he owns another pair.

“Lady T” honored along with Chaka Khan, Bill Withers.

Singer Teena Marie (above), long-time collaborator with the late Rick James, has been recognized by Philadelphia’s Rhythm & Blues Foundation for her 30-year career as an artist. Marie was one of nine artists who received a Pioneer Award Tuesday, along with singers Chaka Khan and Bill Withers, plus others. Grammy-winner Marie, whose first album cover featured no photo to keep secret the fact that she is White, still credits James with much of her success. Duets between the pair include the R&B classics “Fire and Desire” and “Love Them and Leave Them.”

The breed’s public relations problem seems justifiable.
It’s no wonder the pit bull has a PR problem. All it takes is two vicious attacks in less than two weeks against small children to bolster arguments that the breed is a dangerous monster with no place in a community setting. On Tuesday, James Hendrix, peered into his neighbor’s yard just in time to witness a large pit bull ripping a toddler’s scalp from his head. Got to BET.com/News for more on this story.

Sisters are knocked out of Olympics singles, Blake advances.

Not only won’t Venus and Serena Williams have a one-on-one title rematch in the Olympics, neither will compete for a medal. After saying earlier this week that a tennis singles showdown to follow their Wimbledon face-off would be “fantastic,” Venus and her sister both lost quarter-finals match-ups Thursday in Beijing. Venus, who won Wimbledon, fell to China’s Li Na, while Serena lost to Russia’s Elena Dementieva. The sisters can still capture a gold in doubles competition as they did at the 2000 Games in Sydney. While the siblings were upset, James Blake did some upsetting when he beat Roger Federer in straight sets. Blake moves on, leaving Federer two titles shy of Pete Sampras’ record of 12.

Fighter’s dream of medal cut short by dehydration. A bantamweight Olympics boxer won’t compete after he collapsed from apparent dehydration while still training. Gary Russell Jr. is said to have struggled to make the 119-pound weight limit to compete for a gold medal, but was found unconscious this past weekend in China after taking a long run. The two-time national champ was found in his room at the Olympics athlete’s village, but he was revived without hospitalization. “We became alarmed a couple of days ago when we saw he wasn’t sweating like he should,” says boxing coach Dan Campbell. “When these kids try to make weight, sometimes they cut corners. What we believe is he did not increase his fluid intake after we told him to.” Russell was a favorite to win the U.S. boxing team a top Olympics prize

NBA stars drop China 101-70 in Olympics. All-star NBA players Dwyane Wade, Kobe Bryant and Yao Ming met on Asian turf with Ming representing his homeland of China in an Olympics game that saw the U.S. win 101-70. Still, Ming enjoyed a hero’s welcome Sunday among the natives, an estimated 300 million of whom play basketball. Wade scored 19 points, LeBron James hit 18 and Bryant matched Ming’s total with 13. The game in Beijing was the first time that any of the NBA stars played against Yao since March when he underwent season-ending foot surgery. Read more at Playa Hater.

Tyson Gay “pretty confident” about Olympics. Sprinter Tyson Gay says he’s “injury-free” after working out in Beijing Sunday, having previously hurt his hamstring. The 100-meter and 200-meter world champ had injured the muscle during last month’s American Olympics trials. Gay had already qualified to compete in the 100 at Beijing, but suffered the hamstring mishap during the 200 trials. The runner says he’s “pretty confident” about his performance expectations for the 100-meter race for a gold medal.

Trial for Civil Rights Era suspect is delayed. James Bonard Fowler, the White Alabama trooper who will stand trial for killing a Black man at a civil rights rally a half century ago must wait another month or so before facing his accusers. The trial, originally scheduled for Sept. 11, will be held on Oct 20. Fowler allegedly shot Jimmie Lee Jackson in cold blood in Marion, Ala., in 1965 following civil rights demonstration. Fowler, who was indicted last year, says the shooting was self-defense.

Abercrombie is sued over a Muslim head scarf. Arguing that Abercrombie & Fitch violated the civil rights of a Muslim job applicant by denying her application because of her head scarf, a Muslim civil rights group has sued the popular clothing outlet. According to the lawsuit, filed at the Oklahoma City branch of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the district manager for the clothing store at Woodland Hills Mall told a young woman in late June that her hijab, a head scarf worn observant Muslim women, did not fit the Abercrombie image. “Employers have a clear legal duty to accommodate the religious practices of their workers,” said Razi Hashmi, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations-Oklahoma, which helped the girl file the complaint. “To deny someone employment because of apparent religious bias goes against long-standing American traditions of tolerance and inclusion.” The council declined to release the name of the plaintiff; she is younger than 18. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 stipulates that employers must attempt to accommodate the religious practices of an employee unless doing so would create an undue hardship for the employer.

Baseball stars have new Major League homes.

Two of baseball’s biggest names have found new Major League homes. Ken Griffey Jr. has left the Reds for the White Sox, while Manny Ramirez trades his Red Sox jersey for a Dodgers uniform. A Ramirez trade was both speculated and doubted as unlikely for much of the week as Thursday’s deadline for swaps approached. The slugger stated publicly that he was “tired” of Boston. Griffey’s move to Chicago was approved by the player hours after word of the deal reached fans and media. The Cincinnatian hit his 600th home run for the Reds this year. Get the lastest on the last-minute trades at Playa Hater.

LeBron James hits 20 in 114-82 win.

LeBron “King” James led all scorers in the first U.S. men’s basketball team exhibition versus Turkey Thursday. Hitting 20 in the 114-82 win, he drew praise from several teammates, including Dwight Howard, who says James played “excellently.” James had sprained an ankle last week when he landed on a player’s foot during a scrimmage, but appears to have fully recovered from the injury. “Obviously, he’s healthy,” U.S. coach Mike Krzyzewski says. The coach jokingly added that he “voted twice” for James as player of the game. Carmelo Anthony scored 17 points.

Chris Henry suspended first four NFL games. Even if he’s given a contract, a legally troubled NFL player won’t be able to play the first four games of the coming season. The league suspended former Bengals wide receiver Chris Henry Thursday, leaving him eligible to suit up 12 times if he’s picked up by a squad. He was suspended eight games last year for player misconduct off the field. Cincinnati released Henry in April after his fifth arrest. His most recent legal snag occurred when he allegedly punched a college student and broke the student’s car window with a bottle. The criminal case against him was eventually dismissed.

The NBA referee who admitted to taking thousands of dollars in payoffs from a professional gambler has been sentenced to 15 months in prison.  Donaghy’s 13-year career with the league came to an abrupt end and shortly after the revelations came news that his wife of 12 years had filed for divorce. Two of Donaghy’s associates were sentenced last week. James Battista, a professional gambler who paid for Donaghy’s tips, received 15 months in prison. Thomas Martino, who was the middleman in the scheme, was sentenced to one year and one day. Get more at Playa Hater.

NBA star tells Time US will win

In a recent issue of Time magazine, LeBron James guarantees that the USA will return to its past Olympics glory at the coming Beijing games. Comparing the anticipated thrill of taking the gold medal to opening gifts at Christmas, the NBA star is asked if he’s promising the top prize. “Absolutely,” James states twice. The Cleveland Cavaliers star sat out last Friday’s practice game with a sprained ankle, but he is expected to recover in time for the China competitions. The USA hasn’t taken gold in men’s basketball at the Olympics since 2000.

Kardashian expects proposal from Reggie Bush

The most recognizable, non-Black Hollywood personality who’s still known for her special physical assets says she expects an eventual proposal of marriage from NFL star Reggie Bush. Kim Kardashian tells an LA radio show hosted by “American Idol’s” Ryan Seacrest that she’s preparing for a wedding to Bush, who’s been dating her for about a year, though they’re not yet engaged. She’s planning ahead, she says, so that “whenever I get asked, there won’t be any drama.” Wonder if Reg knows he’s going to be asking.

New NBA franchise will choose from six options. The team formerly known as the Seattle SuperSonics has moved to Oklahoma City and needs a new ID. The NBA has filed for trademark rights to six nicknames for the Oklahoma City franchise: Barons, Bison, Energy, Marshalls , Thunder and Wind. The NBA and the team have refused to discuss possible new names publicly, until an official announcement is made. The league assigned Oklahoma City the former Seattle franchise that has boasted superstars such as Shawn Kemp and Ray Allen, after a court case resulted in the Sonics’ release from their agreement with Seattle ’s KeyArena.

LeBron James could be a step slower in Beijing.
LeBron James could be a step slower in the Beijing Olympics, depending on how quickly he recovers from an ankle sprain. James suffered the injury during a Team USA practice in Las Vegas this week when he landed on player Kevin Durant’s foot during a scrimmage. It’s believed that the sprain is mild, says coach Mike Krzyewski. Trainers planned to check out the ankle, but Krzyewski says it’s not likely to be “anything serious.”

Receiver won’t wear Bengals jersey again
NFL coach Marvin Lewis says there’s no way released receiver Chris Henry will return to the team after his league suspension for player misconduct. “I’m not interested,” Lewis says. “I don’t think it would be productive for our football team. You have to be a productive part to be an NFL player, and there’re responsibilities to being an NFL player. It’s a privilege, it’s not a right. There’s a lot that comes with being an NFL football player.” Henry, 25, was most recently accused of punching a University of Cincinnati student and breaking his car window. The case was eventually dropped.