Katie Couric Walks Away From CBS Evening News

Katie Couric has confirmed to People.com that she is leaving her position as anchor of the CBS Evening News. Couric joined CBS five years ago and made history as the first solo female prime time anchor for a U.S. network news show.

Speaking with People.com, Couric said, “I’m really proud of the talented team on the CBS Evening News and the award-winning work we’ve been able to do in the past five years.”

Couric’s announcement follows months of rumors that her departure from the network was imminent. She has not specified a timetable for her departure or her future plans, only remarking that she is “looking at a format that will allow me to engage in more multi-dimensional storytelling.”

Can you say: Oprah's network?

Variety and The New York Times report that Couric is planning to launch a syndicated daytime program in early 2012. All three major networks — NBC, ABC and CBS — have reportedly expressed interest in the program.

Bill Carter from The New York Times quotes a representative of Couric as saying, “ABC is a contender.”

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This story courtesy of Mashable

A Picture's Worth: The Girl Scout Way

I died.





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Bidding War: Myspace.

Almost six private equity firms and companies are expected to submit bids for News Corp.'s (who also owns the Wall Street Journal...how many of you read it?) Myspace by the end of this week, according to sources close to all parties involved. A few of these companies include private equity firm Thomas H. Lee Partners, Redscout Ventures and Criterion Capital Partners LLC, owner of social networking site Bebo. It is expected that some firms plan to combine on bids.

News Corp. has had talks with a Chinese Internet company about a potential deal also. Online music video site, Vevo, also looked at a potential deal with Myspace, but the company's interest in the site has slowly decreased as time progresses, sources report.

One suitor said that News Corp. is seeking bids of no less than $100 million. News Corp. paid $580 million to buy Myspace in 2005. Talk about a LOSS! They can thank Facebook and Twitter for the depreciation...

Myspace has attempted to reposition itself as a hub for music, entertainment and games, but its traffic and ad revenues are plummeting. In March, Myspace traffic dropped 49% from a year earlier to 36.1 million unique U.S. visitors, its lowest monthly total since February 2006, according to comScore Inc.

The News Corp. segment that includes Myspace reported an operating loss of $156 million for the quarter ended Dec. 31, primarily because of the site's poor performance.

The pool of suitors has narrowed since February, which is when News Corp. opened MySpace's books to a broad array of companies, take note NFL Owners.

As there is no concrete suitor, or deal structure for that matter, sources say that News Corp. expects to be able to announce a deal around June.

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Hacked: Sony Playstation Network Compromised

Some genius hackers have illegally obtained Sony PlayStation's online gaming records. The records included the names, birth dates and possibly credit-card numbers for approximately 77 million people who play online video games through Sony Corporation's PlayStation console, in what could rank among the biggest data breaches in history!!!

Sony, whose gaming network has been offline for six days, announced Tuesday that an "illegal and unauthorized intrusion" between April 17 and April 19 resulted in the loss of a significant amount of personal information that could be used in identity theft.

Sony warned members of its PlayStation Network and a related entertainment service called Qriocity to closely watch their credit card statements for unauthorized charges. It also told members to be on guard against email, telephone and postal scams aided by the lost personal information.

"While there is no evidence at this time that credit card data was taken, we cannot rule out the possibility," Sony said in a blog post. The PlayStation Network, remains out of commission. In the blog post, Sony spokesman Patrick Seybold said the company has a "clear path" to restore "some services within a week."

For all you online gamers, I am sincerely sorry for your loss and hope that this blows over without severe damage to any users. Read the official SONY Updates HERE.

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Video: Consequence - "The World Is Watching"

I use to hear the term “TroubleMaker” and equate it as something negative. I now regard it as a term of endearment. With that being said, if what you’re about to witness makes me a “TROUBLEMAKER” then indeed… It’s time to start some TROUBLE. The moments depicted in this clip have been in front of US all along. I hate to be the “Bearer of Bad News” but Movies On Demand 3 will be the MOST CONTROVERSIAL project that Hip-Hop has seen in some time.

– Consequence

Well alright...

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Lakers' Ron Artest Wins 2010-2011 NBA Citizenship Award

And the 2010-2011 J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award goes to... ... ...Ron Artest.

If you haven't been paying close attention to Ron Ron this season, that opening statement may sound a little abominable. However, for those devoted fans of not only the Lakeshow, but Ron Artest as well should have seen this coming from a mile away. His issue of interest is mental health awareness and his good deeds are almost too many to name.

Check his stat sheet...

Back in the summer, he made the decision to raffle off his 2010 NBA championship ring, the only ring he has won to date, to raise money for a mental health awareness charity. And following the Lakers' disappointing 96-80 loss to the Miami Heat on Christmas Day 2010, he did just that. He handed over the ring to a Raymond Mikkael, who held the winning ticket for Artest's raffle, which reportedly raised more than $500,000 for his Xcel University charity, which is designed to provide support to "high-risk youth with mental health issues," according to the Associated Press.

Then...

Artest told Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com that he intended to donate half of his $6.79 million salary to the same cause, stating "I’m definitely considering the whole thing, or maybe 60 percent.”

He later referenced the plan “very serious. I’ve talked to my wife about it already. It’s a powerful message. The message is about the inspiration. That’s what I want, to inspire people. People will be like, ‘Wow. Why is he doing this? Oh, that’s why. Wow. We need to help educate.’ I didn’t come [to the Lakers] for the money. Obviously I could have gone somewhere else, even a lesser market. Pay less taxes. The taxes here are freaking killing me, you know what I’m saying?”

As if that wasn't enough...

Earlier this year in February 2011, The former All-Star was hosted by Representative Grace Napolitano (D-Calif.), who represents part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area. He spoke on a panel of mental-health advocates regarding the Mental Health in Schools Act, which, according to the congresswoman's office, would allocate federal grant funding for mental-health services in schools. The legislation was introduced on Thursday.

"I think it's normal to have a mental-health issue," Artest said during an interview on MSNBC. "People could call you crazy ... but it's totally normal in this day and age.

"I wanted to let the kids out there know it's OK."

If this isn't inspirational I'm not sure what is. Check out the excerpt from this afternoon's NBA Press Release:

Ron Artest of the Los Angeles Lakers is the 2010-11 recipient of the J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award presented annually by the Professional Basketball Writers Association. The award is named for the second commissioner of the league and honors an NBA player or coach for outstanding service and dedication to the community.

Artest won for his tireless efforts to promote awareness of mental health, including fund-raising, appearing before Congress in support of Mental Health in Schools Act and his all-around advocacy on the issue. Artest also raffled off his 2010 Championship Ring, raising more than $650,000 for mental health awareness, and took part in a public service announcement in conjunction with the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health.

“Ron has such a passion for the issue, and has demonstrated such leadership he was a perfect choice for such a prestigious award,” said Doug Smith of the Toronto Star and president of the Professional Basketball Writers Association. “His work embodies the kind of dedication to important causes that NBA players have become known for.”

#BigUps Ron Artest

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Video: CyHi Da Prynce - "Top Of The World"

Shout out to the #MileHigh reference...





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Got Money: Lady Gaga To Donate A Milli

Lady Gaga has partnered with the Robin Hood Foundation to launch a pair of Facebook contests to support the New York-based charity, which benefits the poor and homeless.

One of the contests is designed to increase Robin Hood‘s Likes, or online popularity for those not familiar, on Facebook. The second contest requests Facebook users, those that are fans of Lady Gaga's, to help in deciding how she should divide a $1 million donation to the Robin Hood Foundation.

Separated by five different charities tackling local issues around poverty and homelessness, fans can vote for which charity most deserves the songstress's money. The results will be tiered, with the winner receiving $500,000, the person at second place receiving $250,000 and so on. Gaga will donate $1 million in total to the five charities. Both efforts derive from Robin Hood’s annual May 9 fundraising gala, where this year Gaga will be performing. The Robin Hood sweepstakes is giving away two tickets every weekday to attend the concert. Fans are entered into the lottery by liking the page and inviting friends to join.

HERE FOR THE ROBIN HOOD FACEBOOK LINK

This is a massive opportunity for The Robin Hood Foundation to stimulate its social media presence. The pop megastar introduces millions of fans...and the foundation will be a direct beneficiary. How crazy is that? Mark Bezos, Robin Hood’s senior VP of development and communications, says “The exposure that comes from someone who has 32 million Facebook fans is a great opportunity for us, but at the end of the day this promotion, this contest, is about helping people who need it and doing it in a way that is not superficial." #BigUps Gaga, Robin Hood, and Facebook

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Video: "The LeBrons" - Episode 4 - 'Coach'

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Video: @BonesHR - "Most Beautifullest Thing" (Featuring @ChillMoody)

Check out Hustler Records' own Bones latest visual release, "The Most Beautifullest Thing" featuring Chill Moody.





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