Taco Bell calls 50 Cent lawsuit publicity stunt. The Taco Bell restaurant chain says rapper 50 Cent’s $4 million trademark infringement lawsuit is just Fiddy’s attempt to draw attention to himself. And while it’s true that Fiddy’s known for drawing attention to himself, the company’s recent court filing would have a judge believe the rapper’s music, not his claim against them, should be the issue. Taco Bell’s lawyers say 50’s work “falls in the subgenre of hip hop music known as ‘gangsta rap,’ a style associated with urban street gangs and characterized by violent, tough-talking braggadocio.” The rapper objected to a campaign the restaurant launched this summer, linking him to a promo that asked him to change his name to the restaurant prices of 79, 89 or 99 Cent. Taco Bell lawyers argue that Fif took them to court only to “burnish his gangsta rapper persona.” Guess nothing says “gangsta” like a civil action.

Singer to defend himself against lawsuit. Having previously said he’s too ill to travel, Michael Jackson reportedly plans to testify in a London courtroom Monday. The singer faces a $7 million lawsuit from a Middle Eastern sheikh who says Jackson backed out of a music and book deal. Among the sheikh’s claims are that Jackson never showed for a recording session on a song that was intended to raise cash for New Orleans hurricane survivors in 2005. Jackson’s last high-profile court appearance was during his criminal child sexual abuse trial, where he was acquitted.

Usher’s mom named in police claim. A driver who formerly freelanced for the mom of singer Usher at her transportation company says she never paid him. Georgia detectives are reportedly checking into the matter that allegedly took place during an October BET awards show. The driver claims Jonetta Patton didn’t cut the $1,668 check he’d earned. But a spokesperson for Patton’s company says the allegation is groundless: “The drivers were hired as independent contractors and are paid 30 to 45 days net when working on special events of the magnitude of the BET Hip Hop Awards that took place on Oct. 18. They were hired…and are disgruntled that their services are no longer being used by the company as a result of the unprofessional nature of the fired employee.”

Ex-label head is serious about his ear attire. If you were wondering what to buy former Death Row Records boss Suge Knight for Christmas, wonder no more. Barely a week after word of the burly ex-football player’s lawsuit against rapper Kanye West after Knight lost an earring at West’s 2005 party, he’s got another beef: Cali cops who had him in custody in 2005 allegedly let his diamond stud out of their sight. Knight claims in his U.S. Bankruptcy case, which led to Death Row’s slip from his control, that the cops are responsible. He’s hoping a court will award him $135,000 over the bling he lost at Kanye’s gig, where he was shot in the leg. Apparently, it’s less than gangsta to walk around with bare lobes.

Tyrese says he and Brandy are like siblings. Despite being spotted publicly with the recently reclusive star, actor Tyrese Gibson says he and singer Brandy are just pals. “Brandy and I have been the best of friends since we were 14 years old,” Gibson tells Usmagazine.com. “I would never date her. It would be like dating my sister.” Brandy, who only recently emerged from a low profile after her involvement in a fatal car wreck, reportedly says she hasn’t dated in three years. Police found that she was not at fault for the accident.

Lawsuits claim Chicago Police committed anti-Obama hate crimes. A lawsuit filed Thursday alleges that while a huge Chicago crowd celebrated the election of the first Black U.S. president, some White city police officers committed hate crimes against a Black family cheering Barack Obama’s victory from home. More than 100,000 people celebrated in downtown Chicago’s Grant Park on Nov. 4. All Chicago Police were required to work. No major incidents were immediately reported. But, during the same time people were celebrating in Grant Park, the federal lawsuit claims several officers discharged pepper spray on members of a family celebrating Obama’s win outside their home on the city’s West Side. After some of the family members fled into the home, the armed officers knocked down the door and shouted profanity-laced racial insults before leaving, according to the suit. The eight plaintiffs include Niger Arnold, 31, of Chicago, and her four children, who had been visiting relatives at the home. “Chicago looked very good on national TV that night. For many people, it was the beginning of a new era in America,” attorney Gregory Kulis said. “Obviously, some Chicago Police thought otherwise.” The lawsuit, which seeks $50,000 in damages, claims use of excessive force, unlawful search and seizure, battery, and a hate crime. It cites only the unnamed officers and does not name the Chicago Police Department. A separate lawsuit filed last week by Kulis claims Christina Ballard and Cornelius Voss, who are Black, were driving home in Chicago with family members on election night when White officers in unmarked cars drove alongside the vehicle. That lawsuit alleges that after some of the children cheered for Obama through the open car windows, the officers discharged pepper spray and yelled “White power” and the N-word. Independent Police Review Authority spokeswoman Ilana Rosenzweig said Thursday that the agency is investigating both allegations.

Death Row Records founder wants Kanye’s cash. Things must be pretty tight for Suge Knight in the cash department these days. Having lost his rule of the multi-million-dollar Death Row Records to bankruptcy, he’s turned to suing a fellow industry figure. Knight wants Kanye West to pay his medical expenses and damages including the loss of a $135,000 diamond earring after a 2005 shooting. Knight claims he was also forced to take a private jet back home to Cali from West’s Miami after-party where the incident took place. Knight was shot in the leg and accuses Kanye of failing to provide adequate protection. An unusual claim for a man who was once the most feared in rap music. Among other things, Suge’s lawsuit alleges “the loss of use and enjoyment of his earring,” which apparently got lost in the commotion. Talk about hard times, huh?

A talk show producer who was fired last year after suffering a brain aneurysm is suing a network for $3 million. Erin Primmer says CBS, which airs the syndicated “Montel” program, is responsible for her loss of a six-figure position. Primmer says her doctor cleared her to return to work, but her contract wasn’t renewed when an executive said only “someone capable of handling pressure” should hold the job. Primmer’s lawyer E. Christopher Murray tells The New York Post that host Montel Williams’ silence over the complaint has been deafening: “Coming from a guy who prides himself on helping people who are disabled… it’s a little hypocritical.”

Lionel Richie hires Akon, Ne-Yo for new CD. R&B veteran Lionel Richie has become better known as TV personality Nicole Richie’s dad in recent years. But the former Commodores lead singer’s Just Go CD features help from two hit-makers who Richie hopes will give him a boost. Ne-Yo and Akon both share writing credits on the disc, due out in February. Richie was set to perform this week on TV’s “Dancing With the Stars.”

Martin Luther King III and Bernice King were ordered by a Fulton County Superior Court judge on Friday evening to turn over personal papers and letters belonging to their late mother to their younger brother, Dexter King, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Superior Court Judge Ural Glanville specified just how the more than 700 boxes containing Coretta Scott King’s documents should be turned over to the court in an order released late Friday evening. The children of the civil rights legend Martin Luther King, Jr., have to turn over the documents “80 boxes at a time” or else, the judge wrote. “Any party failing to adhere to any court order … may face sanctions,” he said, adding that those sanctions could include jail time, said Don Plummer, a court spokesman. The King siblings only partially followed a previous court order, Plummer said. Some boxes were produced, but many contained other belongings of Mrs. King, not just documents. Dexter King took his siblings to court get letters sent between civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. and his wife for a book he wants to publish on his mother, Coretta Scott King. He asked for the letters on behalf of King Inc., the family corporation that controls King’s intellectual property, but his brother and sister have resisted.

NAACP lawsuit to be heard today. The Virginia NAACP lawsuit that charges the state officials with not being ready to handle the onslaught of voters expected to hit the polls to cast their ballots on Tuesday will be heard in federal court today. State officials say they are prepared to handle voters, who have increased by 11 percent over the number registered for the last presidential election. They say they have added equipment and poll workers. The lawsuit seeks to increase election equipment in areas where heavy turnout is expected.

Pre-election dirty tricks break out nationwide.  Everything from confusing flyers and e-mails to disturbing phone calls are among the dirty tricks being tried to keep folks from voting or to confuse them, usually through intimidation or misinformation. Much of it has a racial tone. Complaints have surfaced in predominantly African-American neighborhoods of Philadelphia, where fliers have circulated, warning voters they could be arrested at the polls if they had unpaid parking tickets or if they had criminal convictions, reports The Associated Press. In Virginia, bogus fliers with an authentic-looking commonwealth seal said fears of high voter turnout had prompted election officials to hold two elections - one on Tuesday for Republicans and another on Wednesday for Democrats. Tuesday is the official national Election Day for all voters. Read about the other dirty tricks going on across the nation here.

NAACP puts voting readiness lawsuit on hold. The NAACP says it would seek an immediate hearing on the lawsuit it filed to challenge wither the state of Virginia, an important battleground state in the upcoming election, has done enough to prepare for the potential onslaught of new voters expected to show up on Nov. 4, reports Virginia’s NBC29. The Virginia chapter of the venerable civil rights group filed the lawsuit earlier this week, asking that the state to increase the number of voting machines in places where heavy turnout is expected and lengthen the amount of time voters get to vote by another two hours. The nation’s first Black governor, L. Douglas Wilder, who is now the mayor or Richmond, Va., had also asked the state to extend voting ours by three hours. However, Gov. Kaine has said that the stat has adequately prepared for the increased number of voters expected to hit the polls for the presidential election on Tuesday. “We’ve taken big precincts, which maybe had too many people, and divided them into smaller precincts so the lines would be shorter,” Kaine said. The NAACP did not say why the organization changed its mind and decided not to ask for a hearing on its lawsuit Thursday or why it decided not to withdraw their complaint all together. While the NAACP did not make a statement, the organization reported is not planning to pursue the lawsuit any further until they find out how things go on Election Day. Get more election headlines here.

U.S. soldiers deaths in Iraq War at all-time low. Finally, some good news about the Iraq War. U.S. deaths are at an all-time low over a month-long period, according to Pentagon figures. In fact, October could well be the first month in which no U.S. service members were killed in combat in Baghdad.  All told, as of Thursday, the Pentagon had reported 13 U.S. troops killed in combat and non-combat incidents this month in Iraq. If the number holds, thought, the number of deaths would tie July for the lowest monthly U.S. death toll of the 5½-year-old war. The war has claimed 4,189 U.S. service men and women since it started.

W. Va. Voters say machines are changing their votes. Three Putnam Co., West Va., voters say electronic voting machines changed their votes from Democrats to Republicans when they cast early ballots last week. This is the second West Virginia county where voters have reported this problem. Read the rest here.

Accused courthouse killer had a bad childhood. Brian Nichols had a troubled childhood, a psychologist told the court on Wednesday. And his absentee drunken father and working mother, and the sexual abuse he experienced at the hands of a cousin contributed to his problems, the psychologist said. Nichols’ troubled early childhood was described by a defense psychologist in court Wednesday, and pegged as the issues that set the stage for events that would take place decades later - when, on March 11, 2005, Nichols escaped from custody at the Fulton County Courthouse and went on a killing rampage that cost four people their lives. “The stresses of his childhood is what carries forward into adulthood,” Mark Cunningham told lead defense attorney Henderson Hill as he took the witness stand for the third day. On Tuesday Cunningham read excerpts from a college paper written by Nichols as an example of what Cunningham said were extreme beliefs that over time developed into delusional behavior. That behavior led Nichols to the rape of a former long-time girlfriend in August 2004, then to the courthouse escape and attacks while he was facing trial for that rape. Nichols has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity for the deaths of Fulton County Superior Court Judge Rowland Barnes, and court reporter Julie Ann Brandau, in Barnes’ courtroom; deputy Hoyt Teasley, outside the courthouse; and, while on the run, U.S. Customs Agent David Wilhelm. Cunningham described Brian Nichols as the “good son” in his family. “He was the achieving one,” who - unlike his older brother who later had drug and legal problems - had “white-collar employment” and earned $80,000 a year. Yet - as evidence of the emotional distance his parents kept from him - when Nichols was charged with the girlfriend’s rape in August 2004, and Nichols’ attorney needed his parents to return to the country and testify at his trial, the parents didn’t come back to testify and “didn’t even visit him” in jail.

Ex D.C. district judge Roy L. Pearson Jr. is trying to revive his highly publicized $54 million lawsuit against a neighborhood dry cleaners that he says lost his pants. Pearson took his case before a three-judge panel of the D.C. Court of Appeals, apparently recycling some of the legal arguments that were rejected last year by a judge in D.C. Superior Court. “This is not about a pair of suit pants,” Pearson, 58, representing himself, told the judges before a packed courtroom. The term “satisfaction guaranteed” is “very subjective” and with “no parameters at all,” he said, accusing the cleaners of fraud. The judges repeatedly asked him to identify previous District cases to support his argument, but Pearson could provide no examples. Christopher Manning, the attorney for Soo and Jin Chung, the owners of Custom Cleaners, which is at the heart of the dispute, argued that Pearson was “entitled to nothing.” Manning challenged the idea that the cleaners even lost Pearson’s Hickey Freeman trousers that he purchased from Nordstrom, saying the cleaners has repeatedly offered Pearson his pants back. Pearson says the trousers the cleaners offered him are not his. Last year, a judge rejected Pearson’s “satisfaction guarantee” argument. Yesterday, Pearson also said a jury should have heard his case, not a judge. But Pearson’s jury request surfaced past the deadline that he had to meet. The appeals court, the District’s highest, is expected to return a decision in two to four months. Depending on the outcome, either side could ask the entire nine-judge appellate court to review the case.

Black workers sue the U.S. Marshals Service. Black employees of the U.S. Marshals Service filed a racial discrimination lawsuit Wednesday, saying they have been denied promotions by managers who belittled them as lazy, reports The Associated Press. The lawsuit in U.S. District Court accuses the federal law enforcement agency of a “good old boys network” that allegedly groomed Whites for leadership positions while passing up and reprimanding Blacks for “trivial mistakes.” “This is the way the agency treats African-American deputies all over the country,” said David Grogan, a deputy U.S. marshal who is filing the lawsuit. “If you’re an African American doing a good job, they’re going to find some loophole or exception to keep you from getting ahead.” In one incident, Grogan said he was taunted and insulted by a manager for using the gym. U.S. Marshals policy allows deputies up to three hours a week of gym time, but the manager said he “set a bad example” because he spent too much time exercising and did not take his job seriously. “In this way, Chief M.G. and several of his White friends attempted to use Mr. Grogan’s physical fitness to reinforce their racial stereotypes of Mr. Grogan as lazy,” the 42-page complaint states. The Marshals Service, a division of the Justice Department, has 4,700 employees and is responsible for apprehending fugitives and protecting federal judges. Jeff Carter, a spokesman for the Marshals Service, said the agency could not comment on specific allegations while the lawsuit is pending. “I can tell you that U.S. Marshals is aware of the allegations contained in the lawsuit, and these allegations do not reflect the culture of this agency or the high standards to which we hold our employees,” he said.