Mario Williams talked of suicide during a break-up with his fiance last year, his ex is claiming during a dispute over the engagement ring.

The former couple is in a court battle over the $785,000 diamond engagement ring Williams gave to his former fiancee, Erin Marzouki. Williams claimed that Marzouki is holding onto the ring in an attempt to get money out of him, and never intended to marry him.

Mario Williams signed a six-year, $100 million contract with the Buffalo Bills before the 2012 season, the biggest ever for a defensive player. The signing was considered a coup for the rebuilding Bills, who courted Williams for a three-day period over the start of free agency and signed him before other teams had a chance to make an offer.

Erin Marzouki was a big part of that process, following Williams to Buffalo and looking at homes in the suburbs as the former Houston Texan debated whether to join the team.

But the two broke up into the 2012 season, and now have entered a dispute over the engagement ring. After a court-encouraged mediation effort failed, Marzouki’s lawyer released a series of text messages from November showing Mario Williams as suicidal after the break-up.

The layer accused Williams of having “dramatic mood swings” during the engagement. The text message conversation took place in the evening hours of Nov. 11, the day the Bills lost to the New England Patriots.

“No money in the world should leave me with suicidal thoughts,” Williams wrote during the exchange. He also wrote that he took three hydrocodones that morning and planned to take two more on the plane ride back to Buffalo.

Marzouki encouraged Mario to get help, responding: “Why don’t you talk to someone? Clearly you’re not happy & if your takin pills that’s bad”

Mario Williams apologized but hinted toward more suicidal thoughts, writing: “I need to go back n my shell. There’s no telling what Ill do to myself at this point. I’m sry Ill disappear from now on.”

Mario Williams Talked Of Suicide During Break-Up, Ex-Fiancee Claims is a post from: The Inquisitr

Donald Trump faced a surprisingly tough opponent when an 87-year-old investor who accuses him of cheating her took the stand in a Chicago federal courtroom on Friday.

Trump himself isn’t a defendant — it’s his business and his investors that will be on the hook if his side loses — but he was already forced to testify earlier in the week. During the combative testimony, the 66-year-old Trump attacked Jackie Goldberg, who is fighting with him over a $500,000 deposit she made on two condos in a hotel at Chicago’s Trump Towers.

During Trump’s testimony, which included eyerolls at Goldberg’s attorney Shelly Kulwin, US District Judge Amy St. Eve  scolded both of them:

“You have been dancing around and boxing each other for the last 45 minutes…You’ve got to stop it.”

Trump admitted in his court testimony that he couldn’t remember key details of the 2006 deal at the heart of the dispute.

Despite being two decades older than Donald Trump, Jackie Goldberg seemed to have a more focused memory of what happened.  She isn’t just any 87-year-old investor.  It turns out that she’s a self-made millionaire and experienced real estate investor who haggled for a better deal before she decided to buy.

According to her testimony, in addition to receiving  two hotel units, she was also promised a share of the revenue brought in by the hotel ballroom and valet parking.

“[The revenue sharing]  was an important factor in (buying) the first unit and a compelling factor in the second one,” she stated.

Trump didn’t really deny that, but he said that the fine print allowed him to change the deal so that hotel unit buyers could no longer share in the revenue stream.

He feels that Goldberg is exploiting him by finding a way to back out of the hotel deal after the economic collapse in 2007.  Therefore, when the sale fell through, he held onto Goldberg’s $500,000 deposit.

Poor, poor Donald Trump.

[Donald Trump photo by lev radin / Shutterstock.com]

Donald Trump Faces Testimony From 87-Year-Old Who Says He Cheated Her is a post from: The Inquisitr

Own it like Beckham?

David Beckham may return to professional soccer as an owner.

Beckham, 38, announced his retirement as a player on Thursday. But there are reports that he may seek an ownership interest in a Major League Soccer (MLS) team in the US. ” .. while Beckham’s contract with MLS, signed when he joined the L.A. Galaxy in 2007, included an option to purchase an ‘expansion franchise,’ it has been revealed his advisors have been in talks with the league about possible locations for a new team.”

MLS reportedly will establish its 20th franchise in Queens, New York, with Manchester City believed be the front-runner in the ownership stakes. As far as Beckham being involved in that particular team, there may be a significant obstacle. Beckham’s MLS contract apparently gives him a big discount on buying a team, but only if it is outside the New York City area. So if the Big Apple transaction is off the table, Beckham’s other two options might include buying into the Galaxy or looking at potential expansion cities such as Orlando, Atlanta, or Miami  for his ownership aspirations. Back in 2009, Beckham publicly expressed interest in becoming an owner.

Over his career, Beckham has played for Manchester United, Real Madrid, AC Milan, and MLS Galaxy, and has turned down an offer to extend for a one-year deal with his current club Paris Saint-Germain (PSG).  After winning the French title with the club, he just wants to finish his career on a high note. “I’m thankful to PSG for giving me the opportunity to continue but I feel now is the right time to finish my career, playing at the highest level,” he said of his decision to retire now.

Beckham’s decision to retire brings to an end a very successful career in professional soccer (or football as it is known in Europe and other countries). The once captain of England’s national team has won league titles in Spain, Italy, and England and holds the record for making 115 international appearances as an outfield player.

With reference to Beckham’s contractual opportunity to purchase a soccer franchise, Dan Courtemanche, MLS  executive vice-president of communications, has this to say: “At some point in time he will exercise that option and we can go through the process of making sure it is the perfect fit for David and Major League Soccer but we are not there yet.”

Do you think David Beckham would make a good MLS owner?

[Image credit: Ian C]

David Beckham Eyes MLS Ownership [Report] is a post from: The Inquisitr

When will the lies stop?!

Obama, Flip-Flopper In Chief is a post from: The Inquisitr

There’s a beast in every man … and it stirs when you put a foam in his hand. [original]

Game Of Foams is a post from: The Inquisitr

[Insert joke about the decline or civilization here]

A Guide To Classical Composers is a post from: The Inquisitr

In the past year 7.1 million smartphones were irrecoverably damaged, lost, or stolen.

Based on the findings of a Consumer Reports survey – which will be highlighted in their June 2013 issue –39 percent of 1,656 adult smartphone users polled neglected to take minimal steps to protect their data – many failing to implement simple password protection on their devices.

This inaction, emphasized in the consumer sampling, denotes that millions are at risk – as half of all American adults own a smartphone – for being physically hacked for personal information. People frequently use their smartphones to access social media and bank accounts, buy coffee, track investments, and board planes with a digital ticket.

A lost phone could mean complete admittance to sensitive and pertinent data. Yet people are more vigilant to protect their home PCs and other computer-like devices in comparison.

The survey also addressed malicious software, stating how it can be easily downloaded through infected apps – effecting five to six million phones a year. Although not as commonplace as personal computer infection, the problem is growing, and many of the apps ask for more information – like tracking – than they should.

Children and teenagers are also prone to unwittingly disclosing personal information, according to the study.

Of those surveyed, only 31 percent regularly backed up data – which means 69 percent of people on average fail to. That means those videos, photos, contacts and other files can be gone for good with one clumsy bathroom faux pas or pickpocket. There are several programs available, some offered through cellphone providers that will regularly backup data. Another 64 percent stated they didn’t use a screen lock – as 23 percent use a four-digit pin while 13 percent use a swipe pattern.

Additional stats revealed only 15 percent use antivirus apps which block infected programs from hacking; 22 percent use phone locators to isolate lost or stolen devices; and only 8 percent use remote wipes which can expunge the contents of the phone in the event they end up in the wrong hands.

Please click on Consumer Reports Infographic below to see overall statistics.

Smartphone Users Fail To Protect Personal Data is a post from: The Inquisitr

Amanda Knox’s ex Raffaele Sollecito sat down for a one-on-one with TODAY‘s Savannah Guthrie to explain why he always protected Knox and says he isn’t afraid of going back to jail. He added that Knox considers him “a hero.”

“I’m innocent, and we got evidence of our innocence, so we will fight until the end without any worry,” Sollecito said.

Sollecito was dating Knox back in 2007, and though they were together for just one week, they came under investigation for the murder of Knox’s roommate, Meredith Kercher. The two were accused by Italian prosecutors of killing Kercher after a sex act went awry.

Rudy Guede, an Ivory Coast native, was also accused and ultimately convicted of Kercher’s sexual assault and murder.

Sollecito and Knox spent four years in prison until an appeals court acquitted them in 2011. Though there was initially insufficient evidence to convict them in part for Kercher’s murder, the Italian high court overturned the ruling two months ago, ordering a new trial to begin next year.

So is Amanda Knox’s ex afraid of going back to prison if the two are found guilty?

“No,” he replied. “It’s something like a very far-away thought in my mind. I already know that I’m innocent and we already have proved it. So for me, it’s kind of nonsense.”

He said that he knew that Knox was innocent, and therefore couldn’t bring himself to implicate her, despite pleas from friends and family.

“(Amanda) told me that she thinks that I’m a kind of hero, but I don’t feel so,” he said. “And I don’t need any kind of gratitude… I did it because I know it’s the truth. It’s the good thing to do. It’s the only way for me.”

Sollecito said that he and Knox remain in touch, and have talked about what could happen as they head back to court. Guthrie asked him if he has faith in the Italian justice system, to which he merely replied “I have faith in God.”

Who can say whether the old religious adage ”the truth shall set you free” will work for Amanda Knox’s ex.

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Amanda Knox’s Ex Raffaele Sollecito ‘A Hero’ [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

A student faked his kidnapping in an effort to draw parental attention away from the fact he was failing English, according to a recent report from the Johns Creek Patch.

Aftab Aslam, 19, disappeared on April 27 at 10 a.m. “Aslam’s family reported that they had received a phone text stating that he had been kidnapped,” a press release from city offices stated.

The report brought both the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) into the mix. From that point, the investigators quickly discovered that Aslam had been the purchaser of the phone from which the text was sent.

The Georgia Gwinnett College student had already failed his college English course once before — good job making sure he was college-ready there, Georgia Public Schools — and couldn’t bear putting his parents through it again.

So instead, he sent the text stating their son had been kidnapped and warned them not to call the police or he would be killed, The Daily Mail noted.

The police and family issued several appeals for the teen’s life. Little did they know, he was inside of a tent in an open Forsyth County field. He came home eight days later after a good rain and a drop in temperatures, and that’s when authorities confirmed they weren’t after a missing person, but a student who faked his own kidnapping.

Aslam initially stuck with his story through the first round of questions, claiming he’d been drugged and kept prisoner. Under “cross examination,” however, he folded and coughed up the entire plot.

The teen — now technically an adult — was charged with three felony counts: false statements, tampering with evidence, and terroristic threatening — against himself. (Careful what you say, folks.)

Back to this Georgia thing: seriously, what’s going on? In March, the University of Georgia had a mime attack a student on its campus, and in April, a group of high school students had to fight for the right to an integrated prom.

That’s right. That thing we thought we’d licked about 40 years ago has still been going strong in certain parts of the country.

Strange happenings, Peach State.

As for the student who faked his kidnapping, what punishment do you think he should receive — and what’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done over a bad grade?

[Image via nevenm / Shutterstock.com]

Student Faked Kidnapping, Charged With Terrorizing Self Over Failing Grade is a post from: The Inquisitr

Angelina Jolie’s double mastectomy was a shocker, but since her admission, the 37-year-old actress has been praised for her brave decision. In a recent interview, she said that she feels comfortable with her choice, calling it “the right thing to do for our family.”

On February 16, Jolie quietly underwent a double mastectomy. It was preventative, and a choice she made after discovering that her genetic chances of developing breast cancer were higher than normal.

This was all due to a “faulty” BRCA1 gene, which set her chances of developing breast cancer at a staggering 87 percent. That, coupled with her mother’s death of ovarian cancer at 56-years-old, convinced Jolie to take preventative steps to make sure she’d be around (and healthy) for her children.

With Brad Pitt by her side, Jolie underwent the surgery at the Pink Lotus Breast Center in Beverly Hills. The operation reduced her chances of developing breast cancer to “under 5 percent.”

She came clean about her decision in a frank op-ed for the New York Times on May 14, explaining that though the choice was “not easy,” she wanted to be “proactive,” and in the end, the choice to get the surgery is “one I am very happy I made.”

“I can tell my children that they don’t need to fear they will lose me to breast cancer,” Jolie said.

Brad Pitt also praised Jolie for the brave decision. He called her “absolutely heroic,” and admitted that all he wants is ”for her to have a long and healthy life, with myself and our children. This is a happy day for our family.”

Jolie will also reportedly have her ovaries removed as well, as she learned that she has a 50 percent chance of developing ovarian cancer, which her mother Marcheline Bertrand died of.

What do you think of Angelina Jolie? Do you think she made the right choice for her family?

[Image via: cinemafestival / Shutterstock]

Angelina Jolie Calls Double Mas ‘The Right Thing’ For Her Family is a post from: The Inquisitr

Beyonce may or may not be pregnant, but she’s definitely angry.

Following a Page 6 report that the singer is expecting and a later claim by E! News on Friday that “multiple sources” had confirmed the rumors, the 31 year-old posted a not-at-all cryptic message to her Instagram account later the same day.

She wrote:

“I can’t stop the rumors from starting, and I can’t really change peoples minds who believe them, all I can do is sit back and laugh at these low life people who have nothing better to do than talk about me.”

The post was later deleted.

The pregnancy rumor mill cranked up a step after the star was pictured with an apparently rounded belly at the recent Met Gala in New York City.

Further fuel for that fire sparked after she canceled a show in Belgium last week while on her “Mrs. Carter Show” tour, citing “dehydration and exhaustion.”

The mother of one later apologized to disappointed fans in a handwritten note.

Entertainment Wise is reporting that Beyonce had two dancers push two prams onto the stage during her concert in Zurich, Switzerland last night (May 17).

The seemingly ironic moment reportedly took place during her performance of “Grown Woman.” Coming, as it does, on the heels of the now deleted Instagram, it does rather suggest the Houston native intended to poke fun at the idea that she might be pregnant.

Beyonce’s 60-date trek continues through Europe until June 1, when the singer will perform a charity concert at London’s Twickenham Stadium.

The tour then jumps to the US and will include dates in Oklahoma, New Orleans, Miami, Atlanta, Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia, Washington and L.A. before it wraps at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center on August 5.

It’s been rumored that husband Jay-Z will likely join his wife onstage at one of the three scheduled Barclays Center shows.

The couple’s daughter Blue Ivy was born on January 7, 2012 and has already appeared on stage with her mother during the tour.

Beyoncé Blasts ‘Low Life’ Pregnancy Rumors, Underlines Point With Stage Prams is a post from: The Inquisitr

Creating stunning HDR photos tends to require expensive professional cameras and a lot of production time. Creating time lapse HDR video has been even more complicated and expensive, but a company called Brinno wants to change that with their new TLC200 Pro camera. It is specifically designed for shooting and producing time lapse HDR video.

The new camera packs professional quality power into a package that is affordable and easy to use even if you don’t know anything about HDR photography.

The TLC200 has a 1.3 megapixel High Dynamic Range (HDR) image sensor that shoots 720p time lapse video. It supports interchangeable CS mount lenses for capturing exactly the look you want your video to have.

A user sets the interval between frames between 0.3 seconds and 24 hours and then the camera does the rest. It converts the images into an AVI video file as it shoots them. When you remove the SD card, the video is done. The TLC200 handles in real-time production work that could otherwise take days.

Video is formated as an AVI movie file in 720p resolution.

On the back of the camera is a 1.44″ TFT LCD screen. Scene settings include Daylight, Twilight, Night, Moon, or you can manually set exposure, saturation, contrast, and sharpness.

The Brinno time lapse HDR camera ships with the camera body, a 4GB SD Card, four AA batteries, a BCS 019 lens, a lens cover, and inexplicably … a screwdriver and a screw.

Four AA batteries can power the camera for between one and 45 days depending on time interval settings. It can also be powered via Micro USB.

The TLC200 will sell for $400 and the video below demonstrates why that’s such a great price.

Brinno TLC200 Pro Camera Simplifies Time Lapse HDR Video Production is a post from: The Inquisitr

Joe Flacco won’t be using the “R” word ever again after slipping up before the Super Bowl last season. Which “R” word are we talking about here? During the 2013 Super Bowl media day, Flacco was asked what he thought about the idea of playing the 2014 title game at MetLife Stadium, which he responded, “I think it’s retarded. I probably shouldn’t say that. I think it’s stupid.”

As you can see, the rising Ravens’ star immediately corrected his statement during the press conference, and now he’s decided to completely erase the word from his vocabulary. Flacco wasn’t the only Ravens’ player who signed the pledge, as tight end Ed Dickson and center Gino Gradkowski also joined in.

Flacco has widely been considered a stand-up guy, and he even apologized again the day after correcting his slip-up that Monday.

“Obviously, it was a bad choice of words. I wish I hadn’t said it,” Flacco said during the second day of media at the 2013 Super Bowl, via Mike Garafolo of USA Today. “I have a great relationship with Special Olympics back in Baltimore and have had one for many years. I didn’t mean to offend anybody, but I definitely apologize for it.”

Nearly four months later, Joe Flacco has pledged to never use the “R” word again, and he signed off, along with his two teammates, at the Maryland Special Olympics’ offices in Baltimore. Interestingly enough, it’s the same location that he mentioned during his apology in January.

The Maryland Special Olympics posted a photo of the group, big smiles and all, on Twitter after they signed the pledge.

@teamflacco, @ginograd56, @eddickson84 of the @ravens sign the @r_word_campaign pledge to eliminate use of r-word twitter.com/SpOlympicsMD/s…

— Special Olympics MD (@SpOlympicsMD) May 19, 2013

Well, though they all seem to be smiling, Joe Flacco and Ed Dickson must of missed the countdown before the photo was snapped. Either way, Joe Flacco and the “R” word won’t be crossing paths ever again.

[Image via Keith Allison]

Joe Flacco Signs Pledge Against The ‘R’ Word To Correct Past Comment is a post from: The Inquisitr

Christine White has died at the age of 86. The actress appeared in one of the most widely respected and aired episodes of the popular TV series Twilight Zone.

White appeared in Nightmare at 20,000 Feet, an episode in which she played Julia Wilson, the wife of William Shatner’s character. In the episode ,Shatner portrays a man who was just released from a sanitarium after suffering a major nervous breakdown. After being released, Shatner’s character expresses a major fear of flying. White’s character proceeds to convince Shatner’s character to fly. As the flight progresses, Shatner’s character starts to suffer a second mental breakdown.

The popular episode was so popular that it made its way into the 1983 Twilight Zone: The Movie feature film. While Shatner was replaced by John Lithgow, the premise remained without Christine White’s character included in the movie.

Christine White also made an appearance in the Twilight Zone episode titled The Prime Mover. 

Other feature roles for White included a role in the TV film James Dean, TV series Bonanza, The Frank Sinatra Show, and Vice Squad. Other roles include  The Rifleman, The Untouchables, and Father Knows Best.

Christine White graduated from college with an English degree and eventually went on to earn a Master’s degree in speech and drama.

In case you have failed to see Nightmare at 20,000 Feet, here is a quick clip from the popular episode:

While the popular Twilight Zone episode originally aired in 1963 it appears to have been enough to cause “Christine White Dies” to trend on popular web destinations.

Are you a fan of Christine White and her role as Julia Wilson in the popular Twilight Zone episode?

Twilight Actress Christine White Dies, Appeared In ‘Nightmare At 20,000 Feet’ is a post from: The Inquisitr

Sinbad is bankrupt yet again.

The comedian and actor claims that he owes upwards of $10 million dollars to a handful of creditors. Included among the people looking for a payout are the folks at the Internal Revenue Service. Sinbad apparently owes around $8.3 million to the United States government.

Sinbad, who was born David Adkins, reportedly filed for Chapter 13 bankruptcy last month. The documents explain that the comedian owes $32,199 to the Bank of America, $374,979 to American Express, and $2.3 million to the California Franchise Tax Board.

Although he owes quite a bit of money to several organizations and institutions, the comedian still has a few items in his possession. His $131,000 in assets reportedly include home office equipment and a small fleet of cars. Sinbad owns a 2007 BMW 750i, a 2006 VW Beetle, a 2010 Ford F150, and a 2010 Lincoln Navigator.

The Jingle all the Way star said he only makes around $16,000 per month at moment. Since what’s coming in doesn’t come close to what’s going out, Sinbad stated that he currently cannot afford to pay his bills. As such, his debt only continues to grow.

The $8.3 million IRS tax bill he is currently staring down stems from unpaid monies between the years of 1998 and 2006. Sinbad also admitted that he owes both federal and state taxes from 2009 until 2012.

Unfortunately for the comedian, this isn’t the first time he has filed for bankruptcy. The actor attempted to file court documents in 2009 to debt he owed at the time. However, his request was later denied after he failed to fill out the proper paperwork.

In addition to his stand-up career, Sinbad has appeared in a number of movies and television programs over the years. The comedian is probably best known for his roles in A Different World, First Kid, and Good Burger. He recently voiced Roper in the upcoming Disney flick Planes.

Are you a fan of Sinbad? What do you think about the talented comedian’s claim that he’s currently bankrupt?

[Image via Randy Miramontez / Shutterstock.com]

Sinbad Claims He’s Bankrupt, Owes Millions To IRS is a post from: The Inquisitr

Authorities say two people were killed and more than 20 others were injured Monday when two hot air balloons collided mid-air during a sightseeing tour in Turkey.

According to CNN, the crash occurred in Turkey’s popular tourist destination of Cappadocia, a region famous for its chimney rocks, cave houses, underground cities, and balloon trips.

The Associated Press said an ascending balloon hit the wicker basket of another balloon, ripping a hole in the balloon’s fabric and sending it crashing to the ground.

Witnesses confirmed the reports and said and the crash occurred some 45 minutes after as many as 100 balloons had taken off for the Monday early morning tour.

“It was probably some 300 meters in the air and it descended increasingly rapidly to the ground. There was a large tear in the fabric, probably some 10 to 15 meters long,” said one witness, who was in the air in a balloon just 200 yards away from the accident.

“We could hear the radio chatter and we knew something was happening. There was a frantic urgent transmission: `Release your parachute! Release your parachute!”

The two dead passengers — aged 65 and 71 — are both thought to be Brazilian tourists.

The injured passengers — also tourists from Brazil, Argentina and Spain — were taken to hospitals for treatment of broken bones they suffered during the crash.

Following the incident, the owner of the hot-air balloon that went down said he was “shocked” by the tragedy but said the pilot had taken all the necessary safety measures.

“These types of flights have been happening safely in Cappadocia for 20 years,” Halil Uluer was quoted as saying by Anatolia news agency.

Here is a video of Monday’s hot air balloon crash in Turkey:

Monday’s balloon crash in Turkey comes three months after a hot air balloon caught fire and crashed in Luxor, Egypt, killing 19 people.

In the wake of that deadly accident crash, the governor of the region ordered a ban on all flights in the city.

Turkey Hot Air Balloon Crash Leaves 2 Dead, 23 Injured [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Ferris wheel record was broken over the weekend by a manager of Chicago’s Navy Pier, according to a report from ABC News.

Clinton Shepherd rode for more than two days, setting a new record at 48 hours, eight minutes, and 25 seconds.

If you’re wondering how he was able to use the bathroom, brush his teeth, etc., we’re betting that he probably used the one five-minute break that Guinness World Records allowed each hour to take care of the necessities. It was not known on Monday whether he took advantage of each one of those breaks, but they were available to him.

As for how he spent his time during the two-day-period, Shepherd watched James Bond and Batman movies and played hours of video games, while tweeting the experience to his followers. (He was not allowed to sleep during the experience.)

While there have been quite a few crazy world records set in the last few months — the man who played Qbert for 85 straight hours and the 58-hour kiss set by a Thai couple to name just two — what makes this one special is that it brought the Ferris wheel world record home to the place where the ride was invented.

That’s right. The first Ferris wheel was built more than 120 years ago in Chicago to mark the World’s Columbian Exposition. Prior to Clinton Shepherd’s big weekend accomplishment, the record was a paltry 30 hours and 35 seconds, set by Robbie “The Intern” Gibson of 104.9 Virgin Radio.

That accomplishment, which Shepherd shattered by 18 hours, took place at the Capital Ex in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, on July 25, 2012, according to the Guinness World Records website.

Shepherd didn’t have much to say after stepping off the wheel, simply calling it “an overwhelming experience.” Here’s the new record holder prior to the event:

What do you think of Clinton Shepherd and his new Ferris wheel world record? Care to challenge him?

[Image via ShutterStock]

Ferris Wheel World Record Broken In Chicago is a post from: The Inquisitr

President Obama’s approval rating remains at over 50 percent despite constant GOP scandal mongering, and it seems attempts to disrupt the early days of his second term with a three-headed scandal beast has not hurt the administration among most voters.

The Obama approval rating poll conducted recently by CNN revealed that while Americans are taking the three current controversies surrounding the administration seriously (and that reservations are certainly present), overall, the issues have not impacted the President’s perception among voters.

As of now, the controversies cited as “scandals” in the Obama approval rating poll relate to three separate issues.

One is the attack on an American consulate in Benghazi, an issue that became politicized during the election and ultimately was the flashpoint of one of three debates between Mitt Romney and President Obama. During that debate, Romney claimed that Obama had not referred to the attack as “terror,” and the President called upon moderator Candy Crowley to review a transcript and fact-check Romney’s claim.

The second is recent revelations that the IRS may have specifically targeted Tea Party groups claiming certain statuses for tax purposes, a “scandal” that has not been linked to the Obama administration in any way. President Obama decried the actions of IRS workers in using certain key words to single out political groups for review.

The last “scandal” hyped by conservative news outlets has to do with the Associated Press, and the the Justice Department’s practice of examining phone records in order to investigate the leak of classified information.

One Washington Post writer suggests that GOP attempts to spin the “scandals” into massive issues has not affected Obama’s approval rating because outside core audiences, none of the three issues are reading as particularly scandalous in relation to the President:

“In the case of the IRS and Benghazi stories, the lurid and nefarious view of Obama’s involvement in them being peddled by the right is held only by Republicans — big majorities of them — while most moderates and independents, i.e. the middle of the country, believe the White House’s arguments.”

Do you think Obama’s approval rating reflects an American public not influenced by the scandalmongering?

Obama Approval Rating Is Officially ‘Scandal’ Proof is a post from: The Inquisitr

Abu Sakkar, the so-called “Syrian Cannibal,” has explained why he cut out and ate the heart of a government soldier in a Q&A-style YouTube video.

The original video went viral weeks ago, and showed Syrian opposition fighter Abu Sakkar cutting out the heart of a government soldier and then proceeding to eat it. Labeled a “propaganda video” by several news outlets, the shocking clip was condemned on both sides of the Syrian civil war.

Many called it “horrific” and “inhumane,” and has been submitted as proof of war crimes in Syria by Human Rights Watch.

Now, Syrian rebel commander Abu Sakkar, the same man from the original clip, has released a statement to the press regarding his horrific actions.

He offered context to his actions, saying that he found the pro-regime fighter’s mobile phone, which contained footage of the killing of children, rapes, dismemberment and torture.

“Every free Syrian who sees this; you don’t know what they can do,” he pleads.

He also said that if the Syrian conflict continues, then all Syrians would “be like me.”

Though obviously not as chilling as the original (which we won’t show here for obvious reasons), Abu Sakkar’s explanation for cutting out and eating a man’s heart is as troubling as you might have imagined from reading the title of this article.

However, this story sheds light on the Syrian conflict, which by and large isn’t covered in Western news (mostly because we don’t have a horse in the game). But next time you hear a reference to the U.S. considering taking action in Syria, this kind of thing is exactly why we’ve been considering it.

What do you think of Abu Sakkar? Is there no justification for his actions, even if what he says about the cell phone is true? You can watch his original explanation video below, or a poor-quality subtitled clip here:

Syrian ‘Cannibal’ Abu Sakkar Explains Why He Ate Soldier’s Heart [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

Disney has some big plans for Star Wars. In addition to the company’s ambitious plan of releasing a new movie every year for the foreseeable future, Disney will also be releasing a new cartoon.

Star Wars Rebels will be an animated series that will take place between Episode III and Episode IV. Production has begun on the series which will make its debut in the fall of 2014.

Gary Marsh, president and chief creative officer, Disney Channels Worldwide, said:

“The entire team at Lucasfilm has provided extraordinary creativity and innovation for over three decades, and we’re thrilled to be bringing the expansive and imaginative world of Star Wars to Disney XD’s viewers.”

The new Star Wars show will premiere with a one-hour telecast on the Disney Channel. After that, the series will move to Disney XD.

Kathleen Kennedy, president of LucasFilm, said:

“I couldn’t be more excited to explore new corners of the Star Wars universe … I think Star Wars Rebels will capture the look, feel and fun that both kids and their parents love about Star Wars.”

The new series is being developed by Simon Kinberg, the screenwriter behind X-Men: First Class, and Dave Filoni, the supervising director of Star Wars: The Clone Wars.

Production has begun on Star Wars Rebels, an all-new animated series set between the events of Episode III and IV. bit.ly/16EjuQE

— Star Wars (@starwars) May 20, 2013

Star Wars Rebellion will focus on a period of about two decades between Episodes III and IV. The Empire is taking control of the galaxy and is working to hunt down the remaining Jedi Knights.

Here’s a video about the new series.

‘Star Wars’ Cartoon Heading To Disney Channel is a post from: The Inquisitr