Charges Dropped Against Suge Knight

On Friday, a judge dropped the drug and battery charges filed against Marion "Suge" Knight, the co-founder of Death Row Records. The prosecution had discovery problems and witness problems. The district attorney's office has filed a notice showing that it might revive the charges by seeking a grand jury indictment. Knight had recently been charged with two counts of felony drug possession and one count of misdemeanor battery in the beating of a woman in August after police caught him hitting his girlfriend while holding a knife in a parking lot near the Las Vegas Strip. Police found the drugs Ecstasy and hydrocodone in his possession. The girlfriend was not stabbed but she was treated at a hospital for the injuries.

Rev. Jesse Jackson Released from Hospital

The Reverend Jesse Jackson was released from a Chicago hospital on Friday morning after being admitted for two days with stomach problems. At the hospital, he was treated for viral gastroenteritis and severe dehydration. He entered the hospital on Wednesday after returning from registration events and experiencing stomach pains and dehydration.

Heart Doctor Pioneer Michael DeBakey Dies

Dr. Michael DeBakey, the famous cardiovascular surgeon that pioneered the bypass surgery and inventor of many devices to help people with heart problems, has died at the age of 99 from natural causes at the Methodist Hospital in Houston, TX. In 1932, while he was still in medical school, he invented the roller pump, which later became the most important part of the heart-lung machine. The machine takes over the responsibilities of the heart and lungs during surgery. He was also the pioneer in the development of artificial hearts and heart pumps to help people waiting for transplants. He had helped to create more than 70 surgical instruments in his lifetime.

In the 1950s, DeBakey was the first person to perform the replacement of arterial aneurysms and obstructive lesions. He had developed bypass pumps and connections to replace parts of diseased arteries.

He had performed more than 60,000 heart surgeries in his career that lasted 70 years. His patients had included the Duke of Windsor, the Shah of Iran, King Hussein of Jordan, Turkish President Turgut Ozal, Nicaraguan leader Violetta Chamorro, President Kennedy, President Johnson, and President Nixon. He was a consultant when Russian President Boris Yeltsin had surgery.

He served as the chairman of the President’s Commission on Heart Disease, Cancer, and Stroke during President Johnson’s administration. He had helped to establish the National Library of Medicine and was the author of more than 1,000 medical reports, papers, chapters, and books on surgery, medicine, and similar topics.

In 1953, he performed the first Dacron graft to be able to replace part of occluded arteries. In the 1960s he started coronary artery bypasses. In 1966, he was the first person to successfully use a partial artificial heart. In the 1990s, he helped to create the Michael E. DeBakey Heart Instititute at Hays Medical Center.

Comedian George Carlin Dies

The comedian George Carlin has died at the age of 71 of heart failure on Sunday. He has had a history of heart problems and was taken to St. John’s Medical Center in Santa Monica after complaining about having chest pains on Sunday afternoon. He died later that evening. He has done comedy shows for many years and has even done appearances in movies. He is famous for his “Seven Words You Can Never Say on TV” routine.

In his lifetime, he produced 23 comedy albums, 14 HBO specials, three books, and made appearances in several TV shows and movies. He hosted the first broadcast of “Saturday Night Live,” won four Grammy Awards for best spoken comedy album, and was nominated for five Emmy Awards.

Star Jones Has Serious Health Problems

It is reported that Star Jones has a potentially life threatening health condition. She is suffering from a breathing disorder that supposedly developed after her gastric bypass surgery. She has lost her ability to take deep breaths and has to take short breaths. Sometimes, after gastric bypass surgery scars can develop on the intestines below the diaphragm and can restrict the movement of the diaphragm.

Jennifer Lopez is Pregnant

A lot of celebrities are expecting babies and Jennifer Lopez can now be added to the list. At a recent fashion show everyone was congratulating her and her husband, Marc Anthony, about the pregnancy. In the recent past she has tried to get pregnant but had problems getting pregnant due to a physical condition.

Check out her pic at the fashion show: http://mediatakeout.com/photo/1189596232jlopreggo2.jpg

Kobe Bryant Getting Divorced

It is reported that basketball player Kobe Bryant and his wife, Vanessa, are ready to end their 6 year marriage. For over a year they have been having marital problems and Kobe is currently in the process of moving out of their home. Their divorce may not be very messy. They didn’t have any kind of pre-nuptial agreement so Vanessa is very likely to get half of their assets. During Kobe’s career he has made nearly $200 million dollars and he is owed $88.6 million from the Lakers over the next four seasons. He also makes millions from endorsement deals.

Star Jones Is Having Financial Problems

It is reported that Star Jones and her husband, Al Reynolds, are having financial problems. She has recently told Al to get a job or get out. Star hasn’t received a regular paycheck in almost a year and is beginning to have financial hardships. The two have already cut back on expenses. Star even told her husband that she would help him to get his resume together. Before he married Star, Al worked as an investment banker at the Wall Street firm Merrill Lynch but he quit his job after marrying Star.