Jennifer Hudson Arrives for Super Bowl

Jennifer Hudson  is in Florida to prepare for singing the National Anthem at Sunday's Super Bowl, her first performance since her family Murder Tragedy .  The singer-actress, 27, who also is Nominated  for four Grammys, was spotted at the airport in Tampa on Friday wearing sunglasses and carrying one of her Pomeranian puppies.  "She says she wants to get back into the flow of things," her Dreamgirlscostar Jamie Foxx, who spoke to her recently, tells Entertainment Tonight .  Hudson also is slated to sing at the MusiCares Person of the Year Gala on February 6 and the Grammy Awards on February 8, both in Los Angeles.  "I've asked her fans and anybody that appreciates her talent and her as a person to pray for her and give her some energy," Foxx tells ET. "I know her first look will be the Super Bowl. I know she's going to do well and hopefully we will go out on tour together and heal the world with our music." 

George Clooney Places Himself Up for Adoption

George Clooney has made an offer few can refuse: He has placed himself up for adoption. "I always wanted to be adopted, but I couldn't find anyone," said the star, speaking at a Newseum event in Washington, D.C., with his father, former Ohio news anchor Nick Clooney, and veteran journalist Bill Small on either side of him. "Will you adopt me?" George said to Small. "I'm very wealthy. I'll take care of you." Talk of adoption started after Nick Clooney's observation that his son's 2005 film, Good Night, and Good Luck, about iconic CBS newsman Edward R. Murrow, is now being shown in journalism schools across the country. "This film has legs," said the elder Clooney, who then asked his son for his opinion. "I don't care for that," said the jocular George – prompting Nick to respond: "I never cared for this kid – his sister's great."

The Gathering Crowd

Thousands began arriving at 8am this morning at the Lincoln Memorial, where later today Barack Obama will appear while

Unemployment takes a serious toll on Jamaicans; 600 turn up for 10 vacancies

KINGSTON, Jamaica: Unemployment is becoming a serious problem in Jamaica and to underscore the current situation, 600 persons recently turned up to apply for 10 vacancies at the Captain's Bakery and Grill in St Andrew.  In a recent story in the Jamaica Gleaner entitled “We want work”, the newspaper reported that the cry for jobs has been echoing across the island. "You have a job can give me?” one frustrated woman asked the Gleanerreporters, while others offered to do any sort of job that was available.  The Gleaner report stated that that thousands more Jamaicans had lost their jobs in the past 12 months and indications that the worsening global economic crisis could cause many others to be sent home.  The government, which was elected in 2007 with a promise to create "jobs, jobs and more jobs", has said that it is “pulling out all the stops” to find new job opportunities.  The Minister of Labour Pearnel Charles has announced that his Ministry will be switching its focus from industrial disputes to human-resource development.  According to Charles, the government will spend approximately J$90 million (US$1 million) to train and place Jamaicans in jobs locally and in the wider western hemisphere.

WI Man Arrested Following Obama Threat

JACKSON, MS - A 42-year old Wisconsin man is in federal custody...after issuing several threats against President-elect Barack Obama on the internet. Steven Joseph Christopher was arrested today in Brookhaven, Mississippi by secret service agents. Federal officials say Christopher made at least three threats against the president-elect while in a chat room. His conversation on the web included threats to assassinate Mr. Obama, calling him a "sacrificial lamb". Christopher even solicited funds to buy a bus ticket to get him to Washington in time for the inauguration..and to purchase a gun. Christopher was taken into custody today without incident.

Kelis Is Having A Baby!

Her Milkshake brought all the boys to the yard, and then one of the boys topped it with some whipped cream and a cherry! singer Kelis and husband, rapper Nas, are expecting their first little one together. Kelis is already sporting a little bump. No word on the due date or sex of the baby. Congrats!

Anne Hathaway: I Want to Babysit the Obama Girls

President-elect Barack Obama has already filled his cabinet with Washington veterans like Hillary Clinton – but could there be room for Hollywood in his administration? Anne Hathaway is just one star who would love a job in the Obama White House. "I would want to be head babysitter," the Bride Wars star tells PEOPLE. "I'd love to be First Babysitter, absolutely." Hathaway, 26, is not the only celebrity who would jump at the chance to spend time with Obama's daughters, Sasha, 7, and Malia, 10. High School Musical star Corbin Bleu says he would happily perform for the first daughters. "I'll just go up and do performances for his kids all day and just keep them entertained," he tells PEOPLE. "They seem like really sweet girls. They seem very well mannered. So I would be First Entertainer." American Idol runner-up David Archuleta echoed that sentiment. "I would give the girls music lessons," he tells PEOPLE. "Probably not piano lessons, because I'm far from the greatest pianist, but voice lessons." Stars in WashingtonPEOPLE also spoke to other stars who'd happily work for Obama. Here are some of their job pitches: • "If I'm the Secretary of State, does that mean I get to wear a secretary outfit?," Katy Perry says. "[I'd] probably [want] that position just for the fashion!" • "[I'd be] hip-hop ambassador," says rapper Common. "I could deal with social issues like not having parents. I'd work with that and pay attention specifically to the children."

A week after their second daughter's birth, Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck have announced her name,   It is Seraphina Rose Elizabeth Affleck. 

The baby was born Jan. 6 in Los Angeles. Garner and Affleck, both 36, are also parents to daughter Violet, 3.  While no explanation was offered for the name, or if she was named for anyone, one Web site specializing in the origin of names refers to Seraphina as "derived from the Biblical word 'seraphim,' which was Hebrew in origin and meant 'fiery ones.' " 

Kanye Wants Less Fans

Kanye West should do stand up or host a talk show or star in his own reality TV show - something that involves talking! Because the things that come out of his mouth are sooooooooo good!Speaking with Vibe magazine, the Love Lockdown singer said he wants fewer fans…so he can pose naked.Following a logic only Kanye could possibly know, he explained, "I want the freedom of having less fans. It's like the freedom of having less money. If you have less money, you have less responsibility. It's like Björk. If she wanted to pose naked, you'd be like, 'Oh, that's Björk.' But if I wanted to pose naked, people would draw all type of things into it. I definitely feel like, in the next however many years, if I work out for two months, that I'll pose naked."Or in a swan dress!For some reason we have the feeling that if suddenly Kanye had less fans, he'd complain about wanting more fans.We have to give the Auto-Tune-er credit for wanting to "break every rule and mentality of hip-hop, of black culture, of American culture," even if his methods of doing so seem strange. This is "great art" after all.What we don't understand is why he doesn't pose nude now…it's not like he thinks badly of himself or anything."I believe I am the greatest entertainer of this generation," he told the magazine.Well then!Get on with your naked self!!!!

Ugly Betty's Ana Ortiz Is Pregnant

Ugly Betty star Ana Ortiz is pregnant with her first child, PEOPLE has learned.  Ortiz, 37, and her husband Noah Lebenzon, the guitarist for the band Half Life, are expecting the baby at the end of July.  "They are thrilled and ecstatic," says a friend of the New York City-based couple. "They can't wait to be parents." In September, the actress Told People she was feeling the itch to have children partly because of the baby boom on the set of her hit show. (Earlier this week costar Rebecca Romijn welcomed twins.)  "It's definitely something that my husband and I talk about all the time," Ortiz told PEOPLE. 

R&B Singer and Actress Jill Scott Is Pregnant

Jill Scott is pregnant with her first child, the R&B singer and actress revealed to reporters at the Television Critics Association conference in Los Angeles on Friday. Promoting her new HBO series The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, based on the popular novels by Alexander McCall Smith, Scott said she discovered that she was pregnant just before leaving for Botswana where she filmed the show. "The first trimester I spent in Botswana," said the star, who is due April 25. "That was one of the biggest challenges of my life. First trimester! You're sick every morning. It was seven hours time difference, the heat, the bugs, the 14 hour days." Still, the actress, who is engaged to drummer Lil' John Roberts, says she's glad she went through with the plans to film. "My doctors gave me a clean bill of health and said you can do this, so I did it." Scott, 36, is a three-time Grammy Award winner and star of the 2007 Tyler Perry film Why Did I Get Married?

The doctor who operated on Kanye West's mother a day before she died has been literally barred from plying his trade.

The doctor who operated on Kanyne West's mother a day before she died has been literally barred from plying his trade.

Plastic surgeon Dr. Jan Adams, who last year pleaded no contest to misdemeanor driving under the influence, was sentenced Monday in Solano County Court to a year in jail.

Not long after the circumstances surrounding 58-year-old Donda West's death came under intense scrutiny, Adams was busted  early on the morning of June 26 in Vallejo, Calif., after officers spotted him using an exit ramp to get on the freeway.

Per court documents filed by the Medical Board of California, Adams was also arrested for DUI in March 2006 and January 2003.

Donda West died Nov. 10, 2007, a day after undergoing an elective tummy tuck and breast reduction. The autopsy report cited evidence of coronary artery disease and "multiple postoperative factors due to or as a consequence of liposuction and mammoplasty."

Model Sues Google Over "Skank" Blog Post

Liskula Cohen, a Vogue model known for her clubland adventures, is suing Google to make it reveal the identity of a blogger who called her a "skank."The blog in question, Skanks in NYC, is a pale imitation of, say, Hot Chicks with Douchebags. Besides its anti-Cohen posts, there's not much there there. But we wonder if Cohen and her lawyers did enough digging before turning to the easy target of Google.The blogger's profile on Google's Blogger.com site reveals he or she has another blog, Who's Who in NYC, which features a list of club owners and promoters like Noah Tepperberg. The Manhattan club scene is insular enough that a little bit of asking around should reveal who might have a grudge against those mentioned. Doesn't that seem easier than going after a multibillion-dollar Internet giant which jealously guards its data vaults against legal incursions?Here's the Skanks in NYC rant which sent Cohen running to court:I would have to say that the first place award for "Skankiest in NYC" would have to go to Liskula Gentile Cohen. How old is this skank? 40 something? She's a psychotic, lying, whoring, still going to clubs at her age, skank.Yeah she may have been hot 10 years ago, but is it really attractive to watch this old hag straddle dudes in a nightclub or lounge? Desperation seeps from her soul, if she even has one.

Queen Latifah to Continue as Jenny Craig Spokesperson

Queen Latifah will reign another year at Jenny Craig The Grammy-winning singer and Oscar-nominated actress, who became spokesperson for the weight-loss chain last year, will continue through 2009, PEOPLE confirms exclusively. "We are proud of Queen Latifah's achievements and are excited to continue the relationship," says Scott Parker, vice president of marketing for Jenny Craig. "Queen Latifah embodies the healthy lifestyle principles and character that Jenny Craig stands for and we look forward to another great year." After following the footsteps of Kirstie Alley and Valerie Bertinelli as spokeswoman, Latifah, 38, shed 20 pounds in 2008. Famous for her curves, she has said her goal was never "about getting skinny" but to have a healthy lifestyle through proper nutrition and fitness.

Maniston, Owen and the Dog Have Staying Power

For a second week in a row, Marley and Me is America's #1 movie.

The pooch and company made $24.1 million this past Friday-Sunday.

The flick has brought in $106.5 million since its Christmas Day opening.

Does this mean more dog movies co-starring Maniston in the future????

Keep it in the family!

Newark Murder Rate Dropped 30 Percent in 2008

The murder rate dropped more than 30 percent here last year, but that is little comfort to Preisy Ragin, 29. On Halloween, Mr. Ragin’s cousin Lamar Ragin, 27, was shot and killed at the Pilgrim Baptist Village apartment complex when he went to pick up his 8-year-old sister, who was dressed as Cinderella to go trick-or-treating. Police charged a 21-year-old Newark man with the murder.

“Losing my cousin still hurts me,” Mr. Ragin said.

Newark recorded 67 homicides in 2008, according to the police, the fewest since 2002, when there were 65. In 2007, there were 97 homicides; in 2006, just over 100.

City officials and community leaders credit new police strategies for the declining murder rate. The yearly total is still higher, though, than was hoped for at midyear, when the city was on pace to match its lowest homicide totals in a generation.

Most officials are optimistic that the murder rate will continue to go down, despite concerns that the nation’s economic downturn could have adverse effects.

Some say that the new statistics are the first step toward changing the violent reputation of Newark, New Jersey’s largest city.

“When you look at the murder rate and see it decline, it does give you a real sense of hope about the city,” said Al Koeppe, chief executive of the Newark Alliance, a nonprofit group dedicated to improving business and public education.

But James Alan Fox, a professor of criminal justice at Northeastern University who recently published a study on homicide rates among young blacks, said that the 2008 statistics should be “taken with a grain of salt, and possibly the whole shaker.”

“This reflects hard work and smart policing,” he said. “But some of the decline is probably random fluctuation.”

Since the mid-1980s, Newark’s homicide totals have vacillated between a high of 117 in 1985 to 57 in 1997, according to statistics from the Department of Justice. From 1985 to 2005, the city averaged 90 killings a year.

Mayor Cory A. Booker, who has made reducing crime a priority, said that while he was pleased that homicides had dropped, they remained too common. He said he was looking forward to cutting the number further by using better technology and putting more officers on the streets.

“I think that 2009 is going to show the trend is going to continue going our way,” he said.

Around City Hall, the police director, Garry F. McCarthy, is credited with putting into effect policies that may have helped to achieve the reduction in homicide rates since he was appointed in 2006. The strategies of Mr. McCarthy, a former New York City police commander, have included closer monitoring of drug dealers and violent offenders and responding to more quality-of-life issues like noise and vandalism.

Derrick Hatcher, president of the Fraternal Order of Police in Newark, the city’s main police union, said he believed that Mr. McCarthy’s best practice was putting more officers on duty at night and on weekends, when most homicides occur.

Mr. McCarthy said he was “pleased, but not satisfied” with last year’s homicide statistics.

“We had a good year, but that brings no solace to the families of the 67 people murdered,” he said.

Murder rates also sank in the neighboring towns of East Orange and Elizabeth, though they rose slightly in Irvington; officials there speculated that the increase could be linked to drug dealers moving across the city line because of increased police pressure in Newark.

“Is there a displacement issue? Possibly,” said Sgt. Keith Sandberg of the Irvington police. “Newark made a push, and when you push, people are either going to push back or move.”

Chip Hallock, president of the Newark Regional Business Partnership, said the statistics were the beginning of a change in dialogue about the city, one that does not center on its reputation for violence.

“Now we can begin to tell a different story because of the reduction in crime,” he said.

Al-Tarik Onque, co-founder of Stop Shootin’, a nonprofit group founded in 2005 to lead a grass-roots effort against violent crime, said that last year’s homicide trend was emblematic of a groundswell.

“These stats are about people from Newark stepping up and saying, ‘Enough,’ ” he said.

Travolta Family Lawyer And Police Release More Information About Teen's Death

John Travolta and Kelly Preston 's 16-year old son, Jett, died Friday while on a family vacation in the Bahamas.Their lawyer just revealed to media the exact circumstances surrounding the tragedy. Jett apparently suffered a seizure at the family vacation home at the Old Bahama Bay Hotel on Grand Bahama Island. Attempts were made to revive him, but he died at the scene. Jett, who had a history of seizures, was the eldest child of Travolta and Preston. Their daughter, Ella Blue is 8-years old. So sad. Update: A police spokeswoman says that Jett hit his head in a bathtub and apparently that triggered the seizure.

Jennifer Hudson's Eyeing Obama Inaugural Performance

We hope this happens! A source close to Jennifer Hudson has said that the Oscar winner may perform the Star Spangled Banner at Barack Obama's inauguration on January 20th. It would be her first public performance/appearance since the horrific murder of her mother, brother and young nephew. "Organizers want Jennifer to sing 'The Star-Spangled Banner' at the Inauguration on Jan. 20. They are talking to Jennifer about it. It would be the first time she performed since the murders. She is from Chicago and a huge Obama supporter," said the insider. Do it if you're ready, Jennifer! We've missed you.