CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) — What a week for the Williams sisters. Serena gained a title, Venus found a renewed belief in her game and both showed a calm confidence at the Family Circle Cup born of perspective and enduring difficult times. Serena capped a dominant week with a powerful performance in the finals Sunday, defeating […]

NEW YORK (AP) — Stylist June Ambrose helped remake the image of Luther Vandross and Mariah Carey as they were preparing major comebacks, but there’s one icon she didn’t get to remake — Whitney Houston. Working with Houston wasn’t a pipe dream for Ambrose. With the singer readying a return to the spotlight with the […]

NEW YORK (AP) — After decades of making history, Herbie Hancock is ready to tell it. The award-winning, groundbreaking jazz performer and composer has a deal with Viking for a memoir expected in 2014. “Quincy Jones is a dear friend of mine and he keeps saying to me, ‘You’ve got to do a book,'” Hancock […]

CHICAGO (AP) — The first full day of jury selection in the Chicago trial of the man accused of killing singer and actress Jennifer Hudson’s family ended Monday without the seating of a full jury. William Balfour is accused of killing Hudson’s mother, brother and nephew. The 30-year-old Balfour faces a maximum life sentence if […]

TULSA, Okla. (AP) – Within hours of shootings that terrified Tulsa’s north side and left three people dead, leaders of the predominantly black community declared the spree a hate crime and warned of a possible vigilante response. Quick arrests relieved many residents and ended talk of more violence, but community leaders still want the case […]

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – Some nail polishes commonly found in California salons and advertised as free of a so-called “toxic trio” of chemicals actually have high levels of agents linked to birth defects, according to state chemical regulators. A Department of Toxic Substances Control report to be released Tuesday determined that the mislabeled nail products […]

SEATTLE (AP) – He’s on the lam, but Travis A. Nicolaysen still had time to update his Facebook page. The 26-year-old has eluded authorities since two foot chases Wednesday and a dragnet that included a police dog tracking him through a Port Angeles neighborhood. The dog came up only with a blue bandanna he had […]

BEIJING (AP) — Authorities have indicted five people in central China for involvement in illegal organ trading after a teenager sold one of his kidneys to buy an iPhone and an iPad. The case has prompted an outpouring of concern that not enough is being done to guard against the negative impact of increasing consumerism […]

PITTSBURGH — Dozens of bomb threats at the University of Pittsburgh, including at least four on Monday, have prompted professors to start holding classes outside and forced security officials to implement new building access measures and offer a $50,000 reward The threats began in mid-February, at first targeting a landmark building at the center of […]

BALTIMORE (AP) — Maryland lottery officials say a holder of a winning Mega Millions ticket to claim a share of the record-breaking, $656 million prize. Lottery spokeswoman Carole Everett says the winner claimed the prize with the winning ticket at lottery headquarters on Monday. She says she wouldn’t give any details about the winner until […]

Filmmaker Jamaa Fanaka was best known for his 1979 pivotal breakout film “Penitentiary.” He is also known as a leader of the L.A. Rebellion film movement from 1960-1980, when black filmmakers worked to produce films that were alternatives to the Hollywood classics. Born Walter Gordon in Jackson, Mississippi, the young filmmaker was raised in Compton, […]

A prominent conservative magazine has canned a longtime contributing writer, who had a history of authoring racially touchy pieces, after he penned a blatantly racist column for an online Libertarian magazine that urged non-black parents to educate their children to avoid black people. Writer John Derbyshire was axed from the National Review – the legendary […]