Tyler Perry's Mother Dies

The mother of movie producer Tyler Perry, named Willie Maxine Perry, died on Tuesday at the age of 64. Perry had announced it on his Web site. The reason for her death is currently unknown to the public and she had worked as a pre-school teacher at the New Orleans Jewish Community Center most of her life. Perry was planning to go on the road for another tour of live "Madea" shows but it is currently unclear how this recent tragedy will have an effect on his schedule.

Actor Tracy Morgan Gets Divorce

The actor Tracy Morgan, who has starred in the shows "30 Rock" and "Saturday Night Live," is getting a divorce from his wife Sabina. Sabina claims that she wants a divorce because he lost his battle with alcoholism. The couple had been married for 23 years and spent the last eight years separated and living apart. They also have three sons together.

Singer Jermaine Jackson Finalizes Divorce

The singer Jermaine Jackson, the brother of singer Michael Jackson, has finalized the divorce from his wife, Alejandra. He agreed to pay $50,000 for her attorney fees and $50,000 for back child support payments. Alejandra waived all spousal support and any rights to his jewelry, furniture, and Jackson Entertainment Inc. The couple had gotten married in 1995 and filed for divorce in 2007.

The two children they have will live with their mother and Jermaine Jackson will have visitation rights. He agreed to pay $3,000 each month in child support payments.

Senator Edward “Ted” Kennedy has Cancerous Brain Tumor

The senator Edward “Ted” Kennedy was diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumor on Tuesday. It is expected that he has less than a year to live. Doctors discovered the tumor while doing tests after he had a seizure this past weekend and had to be hospitalized. Doctors say that he has a malignant glioma in the left parietal lobe, which is the part of the brain that controls sensation, movement, and language.

Doctors say that he will stay in the hospital for a couple more days while they consider chemotherapy and radiation treatment. The possibility of surgery was not mentioned. Experts say that he will have three years to live at the most but it is very likely at his age of 76 that he has less than a year to live. He didn’t have any more seizures while in the hospital and was released from the hospital today.

Jay-Z Close to Huge Business Deal

Jay-Z is close to a $150 million deal with Live Nation Inc. that will give the company a stake in almost every part of his career. The contract covers Jay-Z’s music and music related businesses for the next 10 years. Jay-Z would get a $25 million payment upfront and get advance payments of $10 million per album for at least three albums and he would get $25 million towards concert tours. Live Nation would also pay $20 million in exchange for publishing, licensing, and other rights.

The company is also expected to commit $50 million to finance Jay-Z’s investments and his entertainment venture, called Roc Nation, which is suppose to include Jay-Z’s own record label, music publishing, talent consulting, and managing projects. He plans to leave Def Jam if the deal goes through but he still owes Def Jam one more studio album. He was the president of Def Jam for three years but stepped down this past December because he and the label’s corporate parent, Universal Music Group, could not agree on a new contract.

Child Born With Four Arms and Four Legs

In India, a team of 13 surgeons have started operating on a two year old girl named Lakshmi Tatama who was born with four arms and four legs. She had a parasitic twin that stopped developing after birth. The twins are joined at the pelvis and both have a pair of arms and legs but only Lakshmi has a head. Her parents see her as a reincarnation of a Hindu goddess but she needs the operation if she is going to live past her adolescent years. The operation will last for 40 hours and the family isn’t being charged anything for any of the costs.

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Social Security Checks Rising

In January, Social Security benefits are rising by 2.3 percent. The average check will receive an extra $24 per month. This is not much considering that food prices, medical prices, and general costs of living are significantly increasing each year. This increase is the smallest since a 2.1 percent rise in 2004. Last year it was 3.3 percent and the year before that it was 4.1 percent. Nearly 50 million Americans get social security checks and another 4 million get Supplemental Security Income payments.

The average check for a retired couple currently is $1,722. Individuals get $623. Disabled workers get $981 currently.

The government says that millions of people will have to pay higher taxes next year because the maximum amount of Social Security earnings subject to the payroll tax will rise from $97,500 to $102,000. Baby boomers, people born between 1946 and 1964, are going to be receiving Social Security payments soon. The first baby boomer will turn 62 next year. They estimate that between 2017 and 2041 Social Security will have completely depleted its reserves by paying out more in payments than it collects in payroll taxes and then each person will have to be completely responsible for their own financial well being without the help of the government for the rest of their life.