Keepingitreal

Realtors Agree to Stop Blocking Web Listings

   

WASHINGTON  — The Justice Department and the National Association of Realtors reached a major antitrust settlement Tuesday that government officials said should spur competition among brokers and ultimately bring down hefty sales commissions. The deal frees Internet brokers and other real-estate agents offering heavily discounted commissions to operate on a level playing field with traditional brokers by using the multiple listing services that are the lifeblood of the industry, government officials said.The Justice Department sued the National Association of Realtors in federal court in 2005 on antitrust grounds, charging that its policies were stifling competition and hurting consumers. That case was scheduled to go to trial in Chicago in July. The settlement “is a win for consumers, certainly, who will now have the benefit of unrestricted competition,” Deborah A. Garza, deputy assistant attorney general for antitrust, said in an interview. “There inevitably will be more efficiency and more competition in the market.”Real estate agents earned $93 billion in commissions in 2006, with a median commission of about $11,600, Justice Department officials said. Internet brokers, offering pared-down services, provided average rebates of 1 percent on commissions that normally ran 5 or 6 percent, translating into thousands of dollars per sale. Consumer advocates hailed the settlement as an important and somewhat surprising step by the Bush administration, which has staked out a position on many antitrust issues seen as favorable to business interests. Consumer advocates hailed the settlement as an important and somewhat surprising step by the Bush administration, which has staked out a position on many antitrust issues seen as favorable to business interests. SOURCE: NYTIMES.COM

USHER SPEAKS OUT ON MTV

 

Racial tensions heat up in a Brooklyn neighborhood

NEW YORK (AP) — Seventeen years after race riots left the streets of one New York City neighborhood bloodied, tensions are rising again there between Orthodox Jews and blacks. First, a black man was badly beaten. Weeks later, a Jewish teenager said he was attacked by two young blacks while riding his bicycle, and angry Jewish residents took to the streets with signs saying "Jewish blood is not cheap!" and "Every Jew a .22." And along the way, the district attorney accused an Orthodox Jewish street patrol of vigilantism and compared the group to street gangs like the Bloods and Crips. The strife has revived painful memories of the 1991 riots in the Brooklyn neighborhood called Crown Heights, which is home to about 15,000 Orthodox Jews and more than 130,000 blacks. As summer approaches, leaders from both sides are braced for trouble. "One small incident could escalate into something beyond our grasp," warned Richard Green, head of the Crown Heights Youth Collective, a group he said inspires the races "to interact instead of react."The group was started after the 1991 riots that exploded after a black child was accidentally struck by a station wagon in the motorcade of a Jewish spiritual leader. The 7-year-old boy, who was pinned under the vehicle, later died of his injuries. In the ensuing unrest, which lasted three days, a rabbinical student was mortally stabbed by a black mob.To quell fears of new unrest, Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly visited Crown Heights earlier this month and stepped up police patrols. Officers also are perched atop a tower, keeping 24-hour watch over the world headquarters of the ultra-Orthodox Lubavitch movement."It's a very delicate situation in Crown Heights, a bubble of tension," said Geoffrey Davis, a longtime black resident. District Attorney Charles Hynes has convened a grand jury to probe the April 14 assault on Andrew Charles, a 20-year-old son of a police detective. He told police that a man on a bicycle sprayed him with mace while another man stepped out of an SUV, struck him with a wooden object and drove off. SOURCE:AP

KANYE, COMMON, METH&RED SUED OVER JAZZ SAMPLE: Daughter of musician Joe Farrell trying to collect for 'Upon This Rock.'

Kanye West, Common, Method Man and Redman are being sued, along with their respective Universal Music Group record companies, by a woman who claims their music unlawfully sampled a song by her father, late jazz musician Joe Farrell. In her copyright infringement filing, Kathleen Firantello claims her dad's 1974 song "Upon This Rock" was sampled by West in his 2005 track "Gone" from the album "Late Registration"; as well as by rapper Common in "Chi-City," a bonus track on his 2005 album "Be." She also claims that Method Man and Redman sampled the jazz loop in their 1999 duet, "Run 4 Cover." Firantello is seeking punitive damages of at least $1 million and an order that no more copies of the offending songs be made, sold or performed, reports E! Online. SOURCE:EURWEB

Lakers hang on to beat the Spurs

SAN ANTONIO -- The Lakers officially have the defending champion San Antonio Spurs on the ropes with a 93-91 victory in Game 4 of the Western Conference final tonight at the AT&T Center. They lead the best-of-seven series 3-1 and look to deliver the knockout blow at Staples Center on Thursday and book a ticket to their first NBA Finals since 2004. The Lakers never trailed in the game, with the Spurs hanging close for most of the ride. In fact, the Spurs had a chance to either tie the score or win the game on their final possession, but Brent Barry missed a three-pointer as time expired. Kobe Bryant scored 28 points and hauled in 10 rebounds. Lamar Odom finished with 16 points and nine rebounds. Pau Gasol had 10 points, 10 rebounds and six assists.Brent Barry, after Derek Fisher nearly collided with him, puts up an off-balance three-point shot that misses, allowing the Lakers to escape with a 93-91 victory tonight at the AT&T Center. The victory gives the Lakers a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven Western Conference finals series. SOURCE:LATIMES.COM

Mr. Bush and the G.I. Bill

President Bush opposes a new G.I. Bill of Rights. He worries that if the traditional path to college for service members since World War II is improved and expanded for the post-9/11 generation, too many people will take it. He is wrong, but at least he is consistent. Having saddled the military with a botched, unwinnable war, having squandered soldiers’ lives and failed them in so many ways, the commander in chief now resists giving the troops a chance at better futures out of uniform. He does this on the ground that the bill is too generous and may discourage re-enlistment, further weakening the military he has done so much to break. So lavish with other people’s sacrifices, so reckless in pouring the national treasure into the sandy pit of Iraq, Mr. Bush remains as cheap as ever when it comes to helping people at home. Thankfully, the new G.I. Bill has strong bipartisan support in Congress. The House passed it by a veto-proof margin this month, and last week the Senate followed suit, approving it as part of a military financing bill for Iraq and Afghanistan. The Senate version was drafted by two Vietnam veterans, Jim Webb, Democrat of Virginia, and Chuck Hagel, Republican of Nebraska. They argue that benefits paid under the existing G.I. Bill have fallen far behind the rising costs of college. Their bill would pay full tuition and other expenses at a four-year public university for veterans who served in the military for at least three years since 9/11. At that level, the new G.I. Bill would be as generous as the one enacted for the veterans of World War II, which soon became known as one of the most successful benefits programs — one of the soundest investments in human potential — in the nation’s history. Mr. Bush — and, to his great discredit, Senator John McCain — have argued against a better G.I. Bill, for the worst reasons. They would prefer that college benefits for service members remain just mediocre enough that people in uniform are more likely to stay put. They have seized on a prediction by the Congressional Budget Office that new, better benefits would decrease re-enlistments by 16 percent, which sounds ominous if you are trying — as Mr. Bush and Mr. McCain are — to defend a never-ending war at a time when extended tours of duty have sapped morale and strained recruiting to the breaking point. SOURCE: NYTIMES

Nelson Mandela: Musical Project Broadway Bound

Guess who's coming to Broadway? Nelson Mandela. And the South African civil rights icon wont be coming to sit in for the show – he will be the show. A new musical about the South African struggle for freedom from apartheid and the leaders of that movement will be based in part on a forthcoming memoir by his daughter Zindzi Mandela, assisted by South African theater veteran Welcome Msomi. According to theater press czar John Barlow, the production is projected to hit Broadway in May 2010. "We're delighted to be part of this thrilling project. The South African story is not only inspiring but also deeply dramatic and lends itself perfectly to musical adaptation" said producer Steven Baruch on behalf of his partners, Marc Routh, Richard Frankel and Thomas Viertel. "Great musicals always begin with the same element -- a great story," he continued. "We're extremely proud to be bringing this particular great story to the Broadway musical stage." "I think it's the right time for the story to be told, and [the] idea to take the story to the musical stage is exciting," said Zindzi Mandela. "The freedom songs were so important to the morale of the people," she continued, "so it's natural for the story to be told with music as a cornerstone."The book recounts touching anecdotes from Zindzi Mandela's youth, as she grew up during South African apartheid as the daughter of Nelson Mandela and Winnie Mandela. SOURCE: BLACKVOICES.COM

CHRIS BROWN NEW ALBUM COVER

Chris Brown's Exclusive: The Forever Edition will be in stores June 3rd. Chris has three singles currently in the top 10—"No Air" with Jordin Sparks, "With You," and the Polow Da Don-produced "Forever."

Spike Lee courts controversy by criticizing Clint Eastwood and the Coen brothers

Perhaps Spike Lee has decided that a good offense makes for a better defense if he is snubbed by the Academy Awards again this year. How else to explain his slam of a trio of Oscar-winning directors — Clint Eastwood and the Coen brothers - who could well be competing again this year. As per Reuters, Lee was in Cannes to promote "Miracle at St. Anna," his upcoming WW II drama about the heroic efforts of four African American soldiers in Italy. He took the opportunity to criticize his fellow filmmakers. "Clint Eastwood made two films about Iwo Jima that ran for more than four hours total, and there was not one Negro actor on the screen," he said. "If you reporters had any balls you'd ask him why. There's no way I know why he did that. That was his vision, not mine. But I know it was pointed out to him and that he could have changed it. It's not like he didn't know."Clint Eastwood picked up his ninth and 10th Oscar nods for producing and directing one of those two films Lee referenced —"Letters From Iwo Jima" — in 2006. While Eastwood lost those races, he has 4 Oscars on his mantle — a pair each for producing and directing best picture winners "Unforgiven" (1992) and "Million Dollar Baby" (2004) — as well as the Thalberg award.And as for the Oscar-winning directors of "No Country for Old Men," Lee had this to say: "I love the Coen brothers; we all studied at NYU. But they treat life like a joke. Ha ha ha. A joke. It's like, 'Look how they killed that guy! Look how blood squirts out the side of his head!' I see things different than that."Joel and Ethan Coen won three Oscars last year for producing, directing, and adapting "No Country for Old Men" and another for their original script for "Fargo" in 1996. Between them, they have another seven nominations for editing, writing, and producing. SOURCE:REUTERS

California gay marriage ruling isn't seen as trend

WASHINGTON -- As the nation's most populous state, California often sets in motion social and political trends that sweep across the country. But legal experts on both sides of the fight over same-sex marriage say that the California Supreme Court's ruling giving gays and lesbians a right to marry is not likely to have a ripple effect. For more than a decade, conservative activists have erected a series of legal barriers to prevent one state's move toward recognizing gay marriages from setting in motion a national wave. In 1996 they won passage of the federal Defense of Marriage Act, which said that same-sex marriages performed in states that allow them do not have to be honored by the federal government or other states.And they won laws in 42 states to limit marriage to a man and a woman. In 27 of them, these are constitutional amendments that cannot be overridden by judges or lawmakers."While the California ruling is very significant, a lot of states have already taken action on this," said Christine Nelson, an analyst who tracks the issue for the National Conference of State Legislatures in Denver. She said these states have made it as difficult as possible for judges to give legal recognition to marriages between two men or two women. For that reason, many experts foresee the move toward same-sex marriage in the United States as taking place over a generation -- if at all -- resulting not from quick and decisive legal victories but from slowly changing attitudes that eventually carry over to the U.S. Supreme Court. Through most of its history, the Supreme Court has been cautious in interfering with marriage and family laws, usually ruling to strike down laws only after they came to be seen as archaic.In 1967, the court led by Chief Justice Earl Warren threw out the laws against interracial marriage in the case of Loving vs. Virginia. (Mildred Jeter Loving, who had challenged Virginia's law along with her husband, Richard, died this month.) SOURCE: LATIMES

Sex Sells, So Legislator Urges State to Tax It

      

SACRAMENTO — Of all the proposals made by the government of California to help close the state’s $17 billion budget gap, only one drew a bevy of exotic dancers from San Francisco to speak against it.A Southern California assemblyman has proposed a 25 percent tax on the gross revenues of all producers and distributors of adult entertainment, enraging an unlikely alliance of pornographic film producers, the state Chamber of Commerce and cable television operators. The bill would cover every end of distribution, from movie makers to cable stations to stores that sell pornographic magazines, and would include strip clubs. The logic behind the bill, said its Democratic sponsor, Charles Calderon, is twofold. One, an enormous tax on the estimated $4 billion industry would fill state coffers, and two, the industry deserves it. “There is an impact on our society,” caused by pornography and other adult entertainment, Mr. Calderon said. For instance, he said, law enforcement officials are frequently called on to police strip clubs. Sexually transmitted diseases are rampant in the adult film business, he said, without citing any particular data, and the cost of that care “falls on the counties.”Addictions to sexual content online also cost a certain number of men their jobs, he added, which leads to poverty and the use of food stamps and the state Medicaid program. “This isn’t about morality,” Mr. Calderon said. “It is about them paying their fair share.” Mr. Calderon has said that he has no personal opinion about pornography, but at a hearing on May 12 before the tax policy committee he chairs, Mr. Calderon brought a former actress and a former dancer as the main speakers in support of his bill. The women gave sometimes tearful testimony about their exploitation and abuse at the hands of filmmakers and strip bar patrons. SOURCE:NYTIMES

Serena Williams advances to second round of French Open

Serena Williams can be a perfectionist when it comes to her tennis game. After winning 12 of the final 13 games to beat Ashley Harkleroad 6-2, 6-1 Sunday in the first round of the French Open, the eight-time Grand Slam champion was happy enough to just get the win. "I feel like I ultimately could have played better," Williams said. "But first round — just want to get it over with and work your way in the tournament." Williams, the 2002 French Open champion, was broken in the first game of the match and trailed 2-0. She held in the third despite a double-fault while leading 40-0."I never felt like I was going to lose my serve there," Williams said, adding that Harkleroad was playing well to start. "I wasn't nervous, though."On Monday, top-ranked Roger Federer was scheduled to begin his bid to complete a career Grand Slam by playing Sam Querrey of the United States in the first round, and No. 2 Rafael Nadal was to start his quest for a fourth straight French Open title against Thomaz Bellucci of Brazil.On the women's side: Venus Williams, Jelena Jankovic and Amelie Mauresmo are all scheduled to play. The fifth-seeded Serena Williams, the only woman in the field who has won the clay-court major, had a 10-0 edge in aces and reeled off eight straight points while trailing 2-1 in the first set. In the sixth game, it started to drizzle."The ball got heavy and it was dark, and I had to basically put on my night vision," Williams said. "But for the most part it was tough conditions today."The biggest news from Harkleroad came after the match was over. The 23-year-old American said she posed for Playboy magazine and would be in the August edition."There's a few reasons why I did it, but I can't really go into it right now," Harkleroad said. "I really didn't think it was that big of a deal. I'm proud of my body. I stay in shape and try to stay fit." SOURCE:AP

Another Day, Another 3 Witneses ID R Kelly

As the first week in the R Kelly child pornography case came to an end, 3 more witnesses positively ID'd R Kelly and his underage lover as the couple depicted in a homemade sex tape. Another of the victim's childhood friends, now a University of Wisconsin student, her mother, and another of the victim's own relatives say that without a doubt, 41 year old R Kelly is the man shown golden showering a clearly underage girl in the 10 year old sex tape. College student, Audrey Hampton, testified Thursday that she played basketball with the alleged victim and went to school with her for several years. She told the jury "there's no question" that the female on the tape is her childhood friend at age 13 or 14. Audrey said the victim introduced her to Kelly at a party at a downtown Chicago basketball court. She also told the court that rumors started to spread in her neighborhood about a sex tape with her friend in it. Audrey's mother, who says she found a copy of the tape in her daughter's bedroom, testified that she viewed parts of the tape and then threw it in the trash, heartbroken because she too recognized her daughter's friend as the girl on the tape. The final and possibly most damaging testimony came from R&B singer and former R Kelly protégé, Sparkle, who testified that she introduced her 12 year old niece to R Kelly after she started working with the singer/songwriter and that, "Sir, it's Robert and [my niece] on the tape. I know my family. I know them. Trust me." Sparkle said she found out about the tape in December 2001 after she got a phone call from an attorney telling her that a relative of hers was on a sex tape she needed to see. Sparkle told the court the tape tore their family apart. "We were thick as thieves," Sparkle said of the family's closeness before finding out about the tape. "You couldn't break the chain with us. We were tight, tight, tight." But after the the tape came to light, "There was one side and another side," she said. The girl's mother — Sparkle's sister — didn't want to see the tape and didn't want to talk about it, she said. SOURCE:RHYMES WITH SNITCH

War of the Bloods in My Veins - A Street Soldier’s March Toward Redemption

In War of the Bloods in My Veins - A Street Soldier’s March Toward Redemption from Scribner/Simon and Schuster, 27 year-old Dashaun “Jiwe” Morris chronicles his life, from early childhood to present as a foot soldier in the war on the streets. A Blood gang member from the east coast, his story is dark, riveting, poignant and yes, necessary. For within his tale is a cry out to his fellow brother and sisters to check themselves for change. For only change will bring about redemption and only redemption will allow life, and only life will allow love. Newark, NJ - By the time Dashaun “Jiwe” Morris (www.JiweEra.com) moved to Phoenix in the third grade, his childhood had been pushed to the margins. Already a victim of poverty and neglect, he found acceptance and, most importantly, protection, in a network of older neighborhood boys. What he lacked at home -his mother addicted to drugs and severely depressed and his big brother detached from him- he found with the Bloods, a notorious street gang.  In War of the Bloods in My Veins - A Street Soldier’s March Toward Redemption from Scribner/Simon and Schuster, 27 year-old Dashaun “Jiwe” Morris chronicles his life, from early childhood to present as a foot soldier in the war on the streets. A Blood gang member from the east coast, his story is dark, riveting, poignant and yes, necessary. For within his tale is a cry out to his fellow brother and sisters to check themselves for change. For only change will bring about redemption and only redemption will allow life, and only life will allow love. Not since 1994 when bestselling author, “Monster” Kody Scott, scripted from prison Monster, The Autobiography of an L.A. Gang Member has gang life been so vividly chronicled by one of its own. War of the Bloods in My Veins, also initially penned from a jail cell, examines a life wrought with a despair unknown to most. Dashaun’s transition from a child full of promise to the boy who commits his first drive-by at age 11 is a tragic tale of modern childhood. It is this pivotal moment when the reader knows that his relationship with the Bloods is no fleeting romance, but a long-term commitment. Neither the passing of friends, fears for his own safely, nor the guilt which plagues Dashaun, are enough to extricate him from the grip. SOURCE: BLACKARAZZI.COM

NE-YO PERFORMS STOP THIS WORLD ON ALL MY CHILDREN

Ne-Yo performed a new song, "Stop This World" on the ABC daytime talk show, "All My Children" during the second wedding of Angie and Jesse Hubbard. The new Ne-Yo ballad would reportedly appear on his upcoming third solo album, "The Year of the Gentleman". Check out the clip courtesy of ONTD...

Ne-Yo's third solo disc unfortunately got pushed back from its original June 24th date to August 5th according to YAHOO. Going back to the new song, I enjoy the song quite more than "Closer". So what do you think of the song?

SOURCE:URBAN HOOPLA

ALBUM PREVIEW: ASHANTI - "THE DECLARATION"

Ashanti's upcoming record, "The Declaration" has its album listening session over at AMAZON.COM. You can now preview every track off Ashanti's new album until its official June 3rd album release date. (So far, I enjoy two tracks "In These Streets" and the up-tempo "So Over You.")[CLICK HERE FOR ASHANTI'S DECLARATION PREVIEW] A new record from Ashanti has become a eagerly anticipated project since the hoopla around her 2004 "Concrete Rose" album dropped. Since then, Ashanti has branched out to other projects such as a fragrance line and a few noteworthy movies. 'The Declaration' has appearances and productions from her boyfriend Nelly, Robin Thicke, Babyface, Akon, and many others. SOURCE:URBAN HOOPLA

Trailer To Jada Pinkett Smith's Film 'The Human Contract' Now Online

 

Very recently at the Cannes Film Festival, Jada Pinkett Smith was out there showing her directorial debut dramatic film 'The Human Contract' for potential distributors. Pinkett Smith wrote the script, and husband Will Smith and Overbrook's James Lassiter, and Ken Stovitz are exec producers, along with Tycoon's David Grasso and David Dinenberg. Starring in the film are Jason Clarke ('Brotherhood'), Paz Vega, Ted Danson, Jada Pinkett Smith and Idris Elba. The film centers on Julian Wright (Clarke), a charming and mega-successful businessman who hides a secret from the rest of the world which tears his soul apart every day. With his personal life in shambles, Julian will find himself willing to travel down the rabbit hole, as it were, when he meets Michael Reed (Vega), a gorgeous stranger who entices Julian to forget his rigid corporate world and try a more bohemian lifestyle, a decision that will not only affect his own life but those of his boss and co-workers, as well as inspire his half-sister Rita (Pinkett Smith) to re-examine her life with her abusive husband. Producing the film are Dawn Thomas, Miguel Melendez and Mike Jackson. There are only two actresses, Troy Beyer (Love Don't Cost A Thing) and Kasi Lemmons ('Talk To Me'), who have made the transition from acting to directing, and now you can include Pinkett Smith. Pinkett Smith will next be seen in theaters this Fall on September 12th when she's featured with Meg Ryan, Eva Mendes and Annette Bening in 'The Women'. Clarke will be this summer opposite Jason Statham and Tyrese Gibson in 'Death Race'. Click here for the trailer SOURCE:BLACKFILMS.COM

BUZZ UP

Anthony David feat. Indie Arie

Janet Jackson receives top GLAAD award

JANET JACKSON accepts the "Vanguard Award" from the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) at its 19th Annual Media Awards in Hollywood. The Vanguard Award is presented to media professionals who have increased the visibility of the gay/lesbian community through their work.TV HOST Ellen DeGeneres (right) presents Jackson's award. "I hope I can always walk worthy of this award that I have both in my hand and my heart," Jackson said.COMEDIAN KATHY GRIFFIN (center) of "My Life on the D-List" accepts the award for "Outstanding Reality Program" at the GLAAD Media Awards. The awards show will air on the Bravo network (which also airs "D-List") in the future.SHARON STONE (right) presents singer Rufus Wainwright (left) with the Stephen F. Kolzak Award, which goes to an LGBT media professional who has promoted equal rights for the gay community.SINGER JOSS STONE performs for the audience. ACTOR T.R. KNIGHT (right) of "Ugly Betty" and Los Angeles GLAAD President Neil G. Giuliano (left) take the stage. SUPERMODEL CINDY CRAWFORD accepts the "Pioneer Award" on behalf of late photographer Herb Ritts; "Pioneer" goes to those who made contributions to the LGBT community before GLAAD's Media Awards were in existence. ACTRESS BECKI NEWTON (left) gets swept up in the moment while the cast of "Ugly Betty" receives GLAAD's "Outstanding Comedy Series" award. Newton plays the smug receptionist Amanda on the show. ACTRESS JENNIFER BEALS arrives at the  GLAAD Media Awards. She's a cast member of "The L Word," a gay-theme drama. SOURCE: ACCESS ATLANTA