I’m saddened to report that Andy Rooney of 60 minutes passed away last night. He was 92 years old. According to the Associated Press, Rooney had gone to the hospital for an undislosed surgery, developed complications & never recovered. 60 minutes aired his first commentary on July 2, 1978. Rooney died one month after delivering his final 1,097th televised commentary. For his final essay, Rooney said he’d lived a life luckier than most.

“I wish I could do this forever. I can’t though” he said

Rooney was married for 62 years to wife Marguerite before she died in 2004. They had 4 children. Services will be private, but CBS will most likely hold a memorial at a later date.

Given the recent controversy surrounding President Obama’s place of birth, (Most recently from Donald Trump & his “investigations”) he has finally released his birth certificate.

“We do not have time for this kind of silliness. We’ve got better stuff to do,” said Obama. “Over the last two and half years, I have watched with amusement. I have been puzzled with the degree with which this thing just kept going,” Obama told reporters Wednesday.

Speaking to reporters Wednesday, Trump said, “I have accomplished something nobody else has accomplished.”
“I want to look at it, but I hope it’s true,” he added. “He should have done it a long time ago. I am really honored to have played such a big role in hopefully getting rid of this issue.”

Trump sounds pretty smug to me *eye roll*…you can read the full story on CNN.

You’ve probably already heard about the horrific incident that happened earlier in the week in Baltimore, MD. A transgender female was beaten in McDonald’s while employees watched & laughed. In this video, she explains what led up to the incident. If you haven’t seen the graphic video of the beating, you can check it out after the break.

Serena Williams suffered a health scare on Monday, just one day after attending Elton John’s AIDS Foundation Academy Awards viewing party. Serena Williams’ rep Nicole Chabot confirms with People Magazine:

“Monday Serena Williams underwent emergency treatment at Cedars for a hematoma she suffered as a result of treatment for a more critical situation,” the rep says in an exclusive statement.

“Last week, Serena suffered from a pulmonary embolism [a blood clot in the lungs] which was discovered upon her return to L.A. She had been in New York for doctor appointments for the ongoing issues with her foot.”

The rep added, “Doctors are continuing to monitor her situation closely to avoid additional complications.”

Read Serena’s recent statement about her condition after the break..

Thank you everyone for all of your prayers, concerns, and support. This has been extremely hard, scary, and disappointing. I am doing better, I’m at home now and working with my doctors to keep everything under control. I know I will be okay, but am praying and hoping this will all be behind me soon,” she said. “While I can’t make any promises now on my return [to tennis], I hope to be back by early summer. That said, my main goal is to make sure I get there safely.”

Her rep also says in a statement, “Thankfully everything was caught in time. With continued doctor visits to monitor her situation, she is recuperating at home under strict medical supervision.”

R&B singer and songwriter Teena Marie was found dead in her home on Sunday.  According to her manager Mike Gardner, Teena Marie’s daughter (pictured above) found her after she died in her sleep. No cause of death has been released, but her publicist said that she suffered from grand mal seizures one month ago. Teena Marie, nicknamed “Lady T” was the protege of funk legend Rick James, four time Grammy nominee, and one of Motown’s first white acts. She released 13 studio albums from 1979-2009. In 2010, Marie continued to be a headliner on the Las Vegas Strip, appearing regularly at the Las Vegas Hilton and other venues. Her publicist said that she had a “great” conversation on Saturday with Marie, who told her that she was excited about heading to Atlanta to perform this week. This is such sad news, especially around the holiday season. Teena Marie made such beautiful and soulful music. She will truly be missed.  {source 1, 2}

Watch Janet Jackson’s Anti-Bullying PSA  for The Trevor Project- It get’s better. The Trevor Project has joined forces with celebs to launch a video campaign promoting suicide prevention, and acceptance of teens that are gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender.

Rue McClanahan, best known for her character Blanche Devereaux- the “sexually liberated Southern Belle” on the Golden Girls passed away at 1 am this morning from a stroke. In 1997, she was treated for breast cancer and in 2009 had heart bypass surgery. Before the hit sitcom The Golden Girls in 1985, McClanahan had a career in Off Broadway & regional shows in the 60s, and was a part of the series Maude in the 70s starring Bea Arthur. (Golden Girl Dorothy) Throughout the years she continued work in stage, tv & film.

McClanahan was married six times: Tom Bish, with whom she had a son, Mark Bish; actor Norman Hartweg; Peter D’Maio; Gus Fisher; and Tom Keel. She married husband Morrow Wilson on Christmas Day in 1997.

Check out this HILARIOUS clip from the show. I loved the Golden Girls so much!

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I am sad to report that Gary Coleman has passed away. Coleman had been hospitalized since Wednesday in Provo, Utah. He slipped into a coma after suffering a intracranial hemorrage. He was pulled off life support Friday morning and later passed away. Coleman’s growth was affected at a young age by a congenital kidney disease caused by focal segmental glomerulosclerosis,  he never grew taller than 4 feet, 8 inches tall. He had 2 kidney transplants in 1973 and 1984, and continued to be on dialysis daily. Gary was famous for his role of Arnold on the hit sitcom Different Strokes from 1978-1986.

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Click photo to watch video!

Ardi Rizal of Sumatra, Indonesia was given his first cigarette at 18 months, and now smokes 2 packs a day!  Despite bribes from officials to give the family of the child a new car if he quits, it won’t be happening anytime soon. His mother says, “He’s totally addicted. If he doesn’t get cigarettes, he gets angry and screams and batters his head against the wall. He tells me he feels dizzy and sick.” Unfortunately his dad doesn’t see it as a problem. “He looks pretty healthy to me. I don’t see the problem,” he said.

This is not cute! His parents need their asses kicked!

Source: Anewsalert.com/The Sun

Actress and singer Lena Horne was the first black performer to be signed to a long term contract by a major Hollywood studio. She died on Sunday night at New York Presbyterian Hospital. Lena Horne battled racism in effort to become Hollywood’s first black leading lady. She could have been a major star, but was born 50 years too early. Horne arrived in Hollywood in the 1930s and is credited for breaking barriers for black actresses to get bigger roles. Many of Horne’s appearances in  movies were  in the 1940s and 1950s, but It was difficult to get roles for fear white audiences might protest the appearance of a black actress. There was also a ban on interracial relationships in films.

By the mid 50′s Horne left Hollywood and established herself as one of the premiere night club performers of the post-war era. In the 50s, 60s and 70s  Horne made appearances on TV/Variety shows in the US & UK. In 1981, Horne was a Broadway star & received a Tony Award for her work. In the the 80s and 90s Horne was active in the recording studio and released a few musical projects, receiving a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1989. In 1995, Horne released a “live” album, and won a Grammy for best Jazz Vocal Album, and continued to work through the age of 83. To read more about the beautiful life of Ms. Lena Horne and her full list of accomplishments/awards and civil rights activism, click HERE.

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