Tag-Archive for » msnbc «
Ford Motor Co. and the United Auto Workers have come to terms on a new four-year contract that trades annual pay raises for profit sharing and a signing bonus and promises thousands of new jobs building cars and trucks.
Both the union and company said in statements that they would announce details on Tuesday.
Ford shares fell 10 cents to $9.27 in pre-market trading.
The agreement is expected to reduce Ford’s hourly labor costs, which are the highest in the U.S. auto industry. But it is likely to add thousands of new union jobs, depending on growth in U.S. auto sales. Already Ford has promised to add more than 7,000 jobs in the next two years, including engineers and factory workers.
The pact still must be approved by Ford’s 41,000 UAW members in voting that will start next week. Approval could be a problem because many expected the company to restore pay raises and other benefits they sacrificed to help Ford through tough financial times starting in 2007.
Hank Williams Jr. and his iconic theme song “All My Rowdy Friends” will no longer be used to open ESPN’s “Monday Night Football,” the network announced today.
The parting of ways follows an analogy Williams used involving Adolf Hitler and President Barack Obama to make a political point on the Fox News Channel.
“We have decided to part ways with Hank Williams, Jr,” ESPN said in a statement. “We appreciate his contributions over the past years. The success of Monday Night Football has always been about the games and that will continue.”
On his own website, Williams said he was the one who made the decision.
“After reading hundreds of e-mails, I have made MY decision,” he wrote. “By pulling my opening Oct 3rd, You (ESPN) stepped on the Toes of The First Amendment Freedom of Speech, so therefore Me, My Song, and All My Rowdy Friends are OUT OF HERE. It’s been a great run.”
In an interview Monday on Fox News’ “Fox & Friends,” Williams, unprompted, said of Obama’s outing on the links with House Speaker John Boehner: “It’d be like Hitler playing golf with (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu.”
Asked to clarify, Williams said, “They’re the enemy,” adding that by “they” he meant Obama and Vice President Joe Biden.
ESPN pulled Williams’ opening to Monday night’s Indianapolis-Tampa Bay game and issued a statement saying: “While Hank Williams, Jr. is not an ESPN employee, we recognize that he is closely linked to our company through the open to Monday Night Football. We are extremely disappointed with his comments, and as a result we have decided to pull the open from tonight’s telecast.”
Williams, through his publicist, said on Monday: “Some of us have strong opinions and are often misunderstood. My analogy was extreme — but it was to make a point. I was simply trying to explain how stupid it seemed to me — how ludicrous that pairing was. They’re polar opposites and it made no sense. They don’t see eye-to-eye and never will. I have always respected the office of the president.”
Magic Johnson is the new owner of Soul Train. The former Lakers star says Soul Train is a great brand, and he has big plans for it. Johnson has been riding a big wave of success in his business ventures. Soul Train debuted in syndication 40 years ago this month with Host and Creator Don Cornelius. Over its more than 35-years on TV, Soul Train showcased Jazz, Blues, Motown, The Sound Of Philly, Chicago Soul, Disco, Hip Hop, New Jack Swing and all the stars that came with trends. A few years ago, Cornelius sold the rights to Soul Train to an independent group. Besides DVD releases, there’s been the Soul Train Awards on BET in recent years. Now, Johnson has acquired the rights to the ground breaking music show, and he plans to bring it back to television.
PHOENIX (AP) — A U.S. Marshals Service spokesman says a Phoenix-based TV pitchman charged with running a nationwide scheme to sell essentially worthless Internet-based businesses has died in an apparent suicide while in federal custody.
Spokesman Matt Hershey says Donald Lapre was found dead in his cell at a Florence facility Sunday morning. His trial was scheduled to begin Tuesday.
Hershey says the death remains under investigation.
A grand jury indicted Lapre in June on 41 counts of conspiracy, mail fraud, wire fraud and promotional money laundering. He was accused of overseeing and promoting the opportunity through his company called “The Greatest Vitamin in the World.”
The government says at least 220,000 victims in the scheme were defrauded of nearly $52 million.
Lapre’s death was first reported by Fox 10 News in Phoenix.
Reverend Al Sharpton has released a statement regarding the Washington Poststory about GOP presidential candidate Rick Perry’s hosting of friends, supporters and fellow lawmakers at his family’s secluded West Texas hunting camp named “Niggerhead”:
“The Washington Post story revealing that Texas Governor Rick Perry hunted and hosted lawmakers at a hunting camp called Niggerhead is alarming and displays a new height in racial insensitivity in national politics. Mr. Perry should immediately fully explain how he could have gone to a ranch and hunted that is named after such an obvious racist term or he should withdrawl from the race. He is either blindly insensitive or hopelessly unaware of where he spends his time. Either way it makes one wonder if he is ready for prime time and certainly whether he is ready for the White House. – Reverend Al Sharpton, President National Action Network”
The nominations are in for the 2012 Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Awards. This year’s possible inductees include Rufus & Chaka Khan, Eric B and Rakim, Donna Summer, War and The Beastie Boys. The ceremony takes place in April. The new inductees will be named in December.
Singer Roberta Flack is getting ready to release a new music project after 8 years. The CD, featuring Beatles classics, comes out in February.
Media Mogul Russell Simmons says he wants to buy a TV network. Oprah has her own network. Tyler Perry is getting his, and now Russell says it’s time for his network. Simmons made a name for himself with Def Jam Records, his clothing line Phat Farm and his website Global Grind.
Filming starts next month on the remake of the 1976 movie smash Sparkle. The original starred Irene Cara, Lonette McKee and Philip Michael Thomas. The new version will star former American Idol Winner Jordin Sparks, Whitney Houston, Mike Epps, Derek Luke, Cee-Lo Green, Carmen Ejogo and Tika Sumpter. Sparks will play “Sparkle,” the role made famous by Irene Cara. Houston will play the mother. Mike Epps will play the bad guy “Satin,” who got “Sister” hooked on drugs. Ejogo will play “Sister,” the role made famous by Lonette McKee. Derek Luke will play “Stix,” originally made famous by Philip Michael Thomas. R Kelly is doing the music for the movie. Curtis Mayfield and Aretha Franklin did the original 1976 soundtrack. Look for it in 2012.
Speaking of R Kelly, Ron Isley says he is looking forward to reteaming with R for Ron’s next project. Kelly is already working on his own project. Kelly’s CD Black Panties is coming out next year. Kelly says this CD will be very sexy and explicit.
Get well wishes go out to Singer Bobby Womack. We hear he has not been well.
Jennifer Hudson has opened a Weight Watchers center in Chicago. Hudson lost 80 pounds with the Weight Watchers program
Will the ratings improve for the FOX show The X Factor?The singing-reality show, the brainchild of Simon Cowell, has only half the ratings of American Idol. The show has Paula Abdul, L.A. Reid, Nicole Sherzinger and Simon, himself. There has been a ton of promotion, but the ratings underwhelmed. Could it be viewer fatigue because there are so many singing-reality shows: The Voice, The Sing Off, and American Idol?
John Legend is now a television producer. Legend is producing a family comedy for NBC called Mixed Blessings.
Congrats to Martin Lawrence. He just inked a deal with CBS for a new show that will debut in the fall. Lawrence’s last show was the 90’s hit Martin on FOX.
The third season of TV One’s Life After airs Wednesdays at 10pm. The new season features Jackee’, Christopher Williams, Christopher “Play” Martin (Kid N’ Play), Antonio Fargas (“Huggy Bear” from Starsky and Hutch), Countess Vaughn, Kim Coles and Jayne Kennedy.
LL Cool J is getting a special honor at The 2011 BET Hip Hop Awards. He’ll get the I Am Hip Hop Icon Award. Russell Simmons, Grandmaster Flash, KRS-One, Ice Cube and Salt N’ Pepa are past recipients. Mike Epps hosts the BET Hip Hop Awards airing on the cable network Tuesday, October 11th at 8pm.
After six years, is it over for Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher? Moore, 48, and Kutcher, 33, have hit a rough patch, and it’s due to his alleged cheating. Last week, on their 6th wedding anniversary, Kutcher hooked up with a woman who is now telling all about her tryst with him. She has a lawyer, and now she is ready to cash in. Was Kutcher cheating on his older wife? Can their marriage survive this scandal?
Dr. Conrad Murray is on trial for involuntary manslaughter for the death of The King Of Pop Michael Jackson. The details that have come out so far are mind blowing. There’s a recording of Jackson talking on Dr. Murray’s phone. Jackson’s voice is almost unrecognizable as he spoke in a low, slurred tone about going on with the This Is It concerts. Dr. Murray’s lawyers are challenging the prosecution. They say, for example, that Dr. Arnold Klein addicted Jackson to Demerol without Murray’s knowledge. Dr. Klein was Jackson’s dermatologist and was also rumored to have been the actual biological father of Jackson’s children. Jackson’s staff have testified that his young children were right outside of his room as he lay dying. Dr. Murray even cried in court as his lawyers presented opening arguments. The big question will be why Dr. Murray continued to treat Jackson when his health appeared to be deteriorating so quickly. Prosecutors say not only did Dr. Murray give Michael Jackson the fatal dose of propofol, but the doctor was negligent in his earlier treatment of the singer. Murray’s lawyers maintain Jackson administered additional propofol to himself and that caused the singer’s death.
Sunday’s Show – “MEN AS FATHERS & SINGLE FATHERS”
Call in and lets discuss the dynamics of being a Father in today’s world.
Faminly dynamics, finances, education, relationships, health.
All ages are welcome to participate from teenager Father to Grandfathers.
Sunday October 9, 2011 at 4pm to 5pm 646-727-2914 PST
Thank you all in advance for your participation.