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While American Teen only peaked at No. 4 on Billboard, it has managed to remain on the albums chart for 110 consecutive weeks, where the debut project has earned 2.45 million equivalent album units.
Billie Eilish's debut effort WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO? slipped to No. 2 this week despite earning a respectable 118,000 units. Nipsey Hussle's debut studio album Victory Lap also fell one rung to round out the top 3 with 63,000 units.
Elton John Covers Khalid's "Young Dumb & Broke"
Khalid Explains How Kylie Jenner Boosted "Location"
The two tied the knot in 2012 and have a 3-month-old son named Eissa.
Legendary songstress Janet Jackson and her husband Wissam Al Mana have reportedly separated. According to People, the two have called it quits after being married for five years.
Janet Jackson and Wissam Al Mana have called it quits.
The legendary singer and youngest sibling of late pop superstar Michael Jackson, split from her husband, Page Six reports. The outlet claims that while one source said it was an amicable split another source says that Jackson felt that Al Mana had gotten too controlling during her pregnancy.
Jackson, who was previously married to James DeBarge and René Elizondo, Jr., quietly wed the Qatari businessman in 2012. They welcomed son Eissa, now 3 months, this past January.
According to one of Jackson’s close friends, the split was amicable. The source told the Daily Mail that despite their separation they will continue to co-parent.
Jackson made headlines last year when she announced that she was expecting a child with Al Mana at the age of 50.
Jackson has had two marriages in the past, reports the Daily Mail. One with singer James DeBarge and another with back-up dancer Rene Elizondo.
And it supposedly has MUSIC VIDEOS for every single song. Queen Bey just saved Christmas, y'all.
The VA (short for visual album; keep up) features Drake, Jay Z (duh), Frank Ocean, and Blue Ivy (double duh). Michelle Williams and Kelly Rowland are also featured — no word on the other three destiny's children's (orphans, I guess?). Get it here.
Astronomers peering through telescopes on the ground and in space have discovered what they believe is the birth of the smallest known solar system.
Scientists found a tiny brown dwarf, or failed star, less than one hundredth the mass of the sun, surrounded by what appears to be a disk of dust and gas.
The brown dwarf, located 500 light years away in the constellation Chamaeleon, appears to be undergoing a planet-forming process that could one day yield a miniature solar system, said Kevin Luhman of Penn State University, who led the discovery.
It is believed that the Earth's solar system came into existence when a huge cloud of gas and dust collapsed to form the sun and planets about 4.5 billion years ago.
The latest finding is intriguing because it is the smallest known brown dwarf to be discovered with planet-forming properties.
If the disk forms planets, the resulting solar system will be about 100 times smaller than Earth's system, scientists say.
The discovery was made using Nasa's Spitzer Space Telescope and Hubble Space Telescope, as well as ground observatories.
Results will be published in the 10 December issue of the Astrophysical Journal Letters.
Anyone who bought into the media's speculation that Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was giving up Gaza in order "to strengthen Israel's hold on the West Bank" will be in for a rude surprise.
Just the other day, in a televised interview, Sharon said explicitly that not all of the Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria will eventually remain under Israeli control.
In other words - he is already beginning to plan another round of expulsions, exile, and bulldozing.
As I suggest in the article below that I wrote for the Jerusalem Post, it is essential that the Right muster its energies, as well as some foresight, and begin to plan its strategy now for the struggles that lie ahead.
Only if we move assertively and confidently forward, following a clear game-plan and with faith in the justness of our cause, can we prevent the next round of retreat, withdrawals and defeat.
Hardly a week has passed since Gush Katif was emptied of its Jewish residents, and Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is already promising more expulsions of Jews.
In a televised interview with Channel 10 broadcast Monday, Sharon made clear that he plans to uproot additional Jewish communities in the future. "Not all the settlements presently in Judea and Samaria will remain there," he said, adding that "the final map will be presented only at the last stage of negotiations."
So there you have it. Talks with the Palestinians have not even resumed and Sharon is already busy making concessions, effectively promising to dismantle further, as yet unnamed communities as part of a final deal.
As if this wasn't bad enough, Sharon has also done virtually nothing to counter the renewed terrorist onslaught launched by the Palestinians of late.
In just the past few days a Palestinian terrorist stabbed and killed a young Israeli yeshiva student in Jerusalem; an Israeli border policeman was stabbed in the throat in Hebron by a Palestinian attacker; two Kassam rockets were fired from northern Gaza at Sderot; firebombs were thrown at Israeli vehicles in Gush Etzion, and a Palestinian suicide bomber blew himself up at Beersheba's bus station.
Thus far the government's response to this renewed wave of violence has been limited to verbal denunciations and a bit of finger-wagging, which are hardly likely to be taken very seriously by the gunmen of Hamas and Islamic Jihad.
So not only is Sharon demonstrating weakness at the bargaining table, he is also projecting frailty on the military front, inviting still more violence and pressure in its wake.
This combination of weak knees and feeble muscle poses a grave danger to the country and to its national interests.
As Haifa University Professor Dan Schueftan recently pointed out to The New York Times, the way things are looking now, "The next stage of disengagement is inevitable... We are basically retreating slowly toward the fence."
More than ever, then, it is essential that the Right get its act together and find a way to save the country from the desperate, devious and dithering man who now runs it.
To be sure, the retreat from Gaza and northern Samaria was a terrible blow, but the perils that lie ahead may prove even more ominous. Israel is essentially slouching its way back to the pre-1967 Armistice Lines, which would endanger the state and its interests.
In order to prevent this, the Right must lick its wounds from the Gaza debacle and formulate a strategy aimed at forestalling any future retreats. The time to do so is now because, with a little foresight, we can and will prevent more Jews from losing their homes.
SUCH A strategy should encompass a number of key spheres: political, practical and ideological, and it should not be left in the hands of any one organization to implement. Rather, the various forces must combine their efforts and work in tandem to bring it about.
In the political realm, the number-one priority at this stage should be to remove Sharon from power. It is critical that he be punished politically for the Gaza retreat so other politicians will see there is a heavy price to be paid in terms of their careers for daring to expel Jews from their homes.
It is not enough merely to bring down the government. Rather, Sharon must be seen to suffer a stinging political rebuke, such that it will be obvious to all that the withdrawal led directly to his downfall.
Similarly, it is time for Israel's Right to adopt a modified form of one of the most successful tactics used to date by American Conservatives – the taxpayer protection pledge, which has been championed for some two decades by Americans for Tax Reform, a Washington-based lobbying group.
In the US, the idea is simple: force politicians to live up to their pre-election rhetoric by asking them to sign a short document in which they promise not to support new taxes once they are in office. This effectively binds the signatory, in writing, to live up to his word to the voters.
In America it has come to be known as the "No New Taxes" pledge, and it has proven immensely effective in compelling politicians to take a stand and stick with it. Over 1,200 state officeholders, and nearly 50% of the US Senate and House have signed on, and their adherence to the pledge is duly monitored and reported to the public.
HERE IN Israel, the Right could initiate a "No New Withdrawals" oath which would require politicians to solemnly declare that they will never agree to yield territory or uproot Jewish communities. Anyone refusing to sign, or violating the pledge, would then lose the support of right-wing voters, and would be branded a "pledge-breaker" for all to see.
On the practical front a major push must be made to get more people to settle in Jewish communities that could potentially be on the chopping block should Sharon have his way. Bolstering towns such as Shavei Shomron in Samaria, or Tekoa in Judea will make it harder for any future government to part with them, just as Ariel and Ma'aleh Adumim have been taken off the table thanks to their sizable population growth.
Whether this means encouraging more Israelis to move there, or persuading American Jews to purchase homes in these places, it is crucial to shore up these communities and reinforce their numbers as soon as possible.
Finally, on the ideological front, the Right must not allow its failure to prevent the Gaza withdrawal to lead to despondency or despair. The protests on behalf of Gush Katif may not have achieved their ultimate aim of preventing the pullout, but they did tap into a strong and dynamic undercurrent of enthusiasm and love for the Land of Israel.
That energy must not be allowed to dissipate. It should be marshalled to prepare for the next stage of the struggle, before Israel's dangerous slide toward retreat truly does become a reality.
SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) - Actor Shia LaBeouf was sentenced to probation Thursday after the “Transformers” star pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of obstruction stemming from his attempt to elude police following a vulgar public outburst in Georgia.
He was also ordered to pay $2,680 in fines and fees, perform 100 hours of community service, enroll in anger management counseling and complete a drug and alcohol evaluation.
LaBeouf was spending a late night out in a popular Savannah nightlife district last summer when he became aggressive and began shouting vulgarities after a bystander refused to give him a cigarette, according to a Savannah-Chatham County police report.
Police said LaBeouf refused to leave when an officer told him to do so. He then fled to a nearby hotel in an attempt to avoid arrest, authorities said.
Police charged LaBeouf with two additional misdemeanors following the outburst in Savannah. He pleaded no contest Thursday to disorderly conduct, while prosecutors agreed to drop a charge of public drunkenness.
If you're looking to get your hands on the iPhone 5, you'll now have to wait two weeks for your new smartphone when ordering through Apple's online store.
The newly updated two-week estimate might seem like a long time to wait, especially since the device came out nearly a month ago, but it's actually an improvement over previous shipping times. Last month, iPhone 5 buyers were facing wait times as long as three to four weeks from the date of order.
Apple started accepting pre-orders for the iPhone 5 on its website on Sept. 14. Just one hour after introducing iPhone 5 pre-orders to the world, the launch-day stock of the company's much-anticipated (and long-awaited) smartphone was completely gone, and shipping times were pushed back.
The phone hit store shelves on Sept. 21, and Apple fans lined up at the company's flagship Fifth Ave. store - as well as various stores around the globe - to nab one of the first iPhone 5's. Sales of the coveted phone surpassed 5 million in its first three days on the market, Apple said last month.
"Demand for iPhone 5 has been incredible and we are working hard to get an iPhone 5 into the hands of every customer who wants one as quickly as possible," Tim Cook, Apple's CEO, said in a statement at the time. "While we have sold out of our initial supply, stores continue to receive iPhone 5 shipments regularly and customers can continue to order online and receive an estimated delivery date. We appreciate everyone's patience and are working hard to build enough iPhone 5s for everyone."
iPhone 5 buyers may find shorter wait times when purchasing the device through Verizon, AT&T, or Sprint.
For more, see PCMag's review of the iPhone 5 and the slideshow above.
The ministry of health has waived fees that volunteer medical doctors coming into the country pay for them to practice in mission hospitals.
Ministry of Health permanent secretary in charge of administration Kennedy Malama says this is against the background that the volunteer doctors do not get salaries when operating in Zambia.
Dr. Malama however says government will always ensure medical doctors coming into the country are properly certified to practice.
He said this to ZNBC news in Lusaka.
Yesterday, Health Minister Chitalu Chilufya directed the Health Professions Council of Zambia -HPCZ- to stop charging volunteer doctors who come to render their services in mission hospitals.
And HPCZ registrar and Chief executive officer Aaron Mujajati said his Council will heed the minister’s directive.
Can the minister also reduce the cost of License fees for expatriate doctors! Why are foreign doctors paying over K15,000 per year compared to their Zambian counterparts who are paying only K2,500? We have worked in other countries where we paid the same amount as local doctors. Is there beef between foreign and Zambian doctors? We as a country don’t have enough specialists! Tanzania has over 70 Radiologists while Zambia is still single digit! Who would want to come word where they don’t sound welcome? Please extend the gesture!
This is a welcome move by the Minister although at the same time it proves that the HPCZ is not independent or autonomous and is therefore subject to manipulations from the Minister.
Like many of the other groups with anodyne names engaged in the battle to control Congress, it does not have to identify its donors, keeping them — and their possible motivations — shrouded from the public.
But interviews found that the group was started with seed money from at least one influential Iowa businessman: Bruce Rastetter, a co-founder and the chief executive of one of the nation’s larger ethanol companies, Hawkeye Energy Holdings, and a rising force in state Republican politics. And hints of a possible agenda emerge from a look at the politicians on the American Future Fund’s hit list. Most have seats on a handful of legislative committees with a direct say in the ethanol industry.
The American Future Fund, organized under a tax code provision that lets donors remain anonymous, is one of dozens of groups awash in money from hidden sources and spending it at an unprecedented rate, largely on behalf of Republicans. The breadth and impact of these privately financed groups have made them, and the mystery of their backers, a campaign issue in their own right.
Through interviews with top Republican contributors and strategists, as well as a review of public records, some contours of this financing effort — including how donors are lured with the promise of anonymity — are starting to come into view.
In part, political operatives have reconstituted the vanguard of reliable Republican contributors who helped elect George W. Bush and support Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, which attacked the Vietnam record of his opponent in 2004, Senator John Kerry. But as with the American Future Fund, the effort also appears to include business interests focused on specific races.
The American Future Fund has spent millions on campaign advertising, taking on Democratic candidates like Rep. Bruce Braley.
Stoking the flow of dollars has been the guarantee of secrecy afforded by certain nonprofit groups. Mel Sembler, a shopping mall magnate in St. Petersburg, Fla., who is close to the Republican strategist Karl Rove, said wealthy donors had written six- and seven-figure checks to Crossroads GPS, a Rove-backed group that is the most active of the nonprofits started this year. Republicans close to the group said that last week, the group received a check for several million dollars from a single donor, whom they declined to identify.
Republicans involved in Crossroads say the groups owe their fund-raising success to a hope that a Republican Congress would undo some of the Obama administration agenda. But they also credit their fund-raising strategy.
When Mr. Rove and Ed Gillespie, the former Republican chairman, began their efforts last spring, they first helped set up a group called American Crossroads under a tax-code provision that requires the disclosure of donors. It took in several seven-figure contributions from high-profile donors, including Trevor Rees-Jones, president and chief executive of Chief Oil and Gas, and Robert Rowling, chief executive of TRT Holdings.
The surge of anonymous money is the latest development in corporate America’s efforts to influence the agenda in Washington, following rules enacted several years ago banning large, unregulated gifts to political parties. Democrats first established so-called third-party groups that could legally accept unlimited money from business and unions, though most had to disclose donors. Now, as new laws and a major Supreme Court decision have removed barriers to corporate giving, Republican operatives have embraced the use of nonprofit issue groups that can keep donors’ identities secret.
At Crossroads, some large contributors are motivated to give in part because appeals are coming directly from Mr. Rove, a senior Republican fund-raiser said. Republicans close to American Crossroads and Crossroads GPS, which are focusing on 11 Senate races, say they met their fund-raising goal of $52 million last week and could raise as much as $70 million before Election Day.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which does not identify its corporate members, spent $10 million over the last week on advertisements, mostly against Democrats, records show. The chamber will most likely meet its fund-raising goal of $75 million, more than double what it spent on the 2008 campaign, Republican operatives say.
The American Future Fund has not spent quite as much. But Democrats say that at $6 million and counting, it has advertised enough to make a difference in crucial states.
Almost since the organization’s inception, Democrats in Iowa have suspected the involvement of Mr. Rastetter. Now confirmed, his role offers a glimpse of what is probably just one of many undisclosed interests to have been involved in the American Future Fund.
Mr. Rastetter began his corn-based ethanol company, Hawkeye, in 2003, after making his fortune with a pork production company, Heartland Pork. Hawkeye quickly became one of the nation’s largest ethanol producers, and Mr. Rastetter became an outspoken advocate for ethanol, helping to start a new trade group, Growth Energy, that supports its increased use at fuel pumps and tariffs on foreign producers. As his stature grew, so did his position as a Republican donor, and potentially as a candidate himself.
Speculation of a candidacy increased in 2007, when Nick Ryan, who managed former Representative Jim Nussle’s losing 2006 campaign for Iowa governor, registered with the state as a lobbyist for four Rastetter businesses, including Hawkeye.
After Mr. Ryan helped establish a political committee called Team Iowa, Mr. Rastetter was the largest donor in federal tax records, listed as giving $100,000. After Mr. Rastetter started his family foundation, Mr. Ryan became one of four board members.
And when Mr. Ryan started the American Future Fund, Mr. Rastetter provided “seed money,” but nothing more, said Mr. Rastetter’s lawyer, Mr. Stockdale. He declined to name an exact figure but put the amount at less than 5 percent — or less than $374,025 — of the nearly $7.5 million the group collected in 2008.
Chuck Larson, a former ambassador to Latvia who lives in Iowa and is friendly with Mr. Rastetter, said Mr. Rastetter kept his political giving separate from his business or personal interests. “This is an individual who has been very successful in life and is not motivated by financial gain but by making a difference in Iowa and making a difference in the country,” Mr. Larson said.
An ad by the American Future Fund against Rep. Baron P. Hill.
Mr. Rastetter and Mr. Ryan did not respond to numerous telephone messages.
At times, its activities also seemed to dovetail with the interests of the ethanol industry.
Among the first politicians it supported with advertising was Senator Norm Coleman, Republican of Minnesota and a co-chairman of the Senate Biofuels Caucus, during his losing 2008 re-election campaign.
Later that November, it focused on an unexpected target: the Indy Racing League.
In a radio advertisement, the fund attacked a deal the racing association struck to power Indy cars with sugar-based ethanol from Brazil, portraying it as a slight to American producers.
The campaign may have seemed odd for a group promoting free-market principles. But days earlier, ethanol executives, including Mr. Rastetter, had met with racing officials to unsuccessfully demand that they abandon the Brazilian deal.
Certainly in the last two years the American Future Fund has broadened its activities, along with its donor base, raising millions more as it held a conservative lecture series and ran ads against the Democratic health care bill.
Most of its advertisements this year have focused on generic fare like stimulus spending and health care. But suggestions of an energy-related agenda have peeked through.
An ad by the American Future Fund against Rep. Mark Schauer.
Of the 14 “liberal” politicians singled out in a list it released last month, nearly every incumbent sits on a panel with a say over energy or agriculture policy. Five sit on the Agriculture Committee; four others are on related committees with say. One candidate was a staff member on a related panel.