FOUR CHARGED IN PLOT TO BOMB NYC TEMPLE JEWISH CENTER

Four men who believed they were bombing a temple and Jewish center in the Riverdale section of the Bronx, New York were hauled into court yesterday to face charges in the alleged homegrown terrorism plot.

The men, all American citizens, were actually given inert explosives by an FBI informants that they placed inside cars parked outside the Riverdale Temple and Riverdale Jewish Center Wednesday night, thinking they would detonate.

Before the men could get too far, New York City police blocked their SUV with an 18-wheeler truck and apprehended the four, identified as JAMES CROMITIE, DAVID WILLIAMS, ONTA WILLIAMS and LAGUERRE PAVEN.

Each has been charged with conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction within the United States and conspiracy to acquire and use anti-aircraft missiles. Prosecutors also maintained that the men were given a dummy stinger missile since they allegedly also planned to shoot down planes at the Air National Guard base in upstate Newburgh, New York, where they're all from.

According to prosecutors, the men had boasted that they wanted to bring, quote, “death to Jews” and expressed disappointment that the World Trader Center towers were already attacked because they had wanted to do the same.

The government said that there should be no bail because the suspects were, quote, “extremely violent.” As it turned out, attorneys for the men did not seek bail.

According to New York City Police Commissioner RAYMOND KELLY, the four men apparently knew each other through prison on various drug and assault charges and had actually smoked marijuana Wednesday, the day they intended to bomb the synagogues.

Allegedly dedicated to the cause of jihad, or holy war, Kelly said the men were upset with what was happening to Muslims in Iraq and Afghanistan. It’s also believed that three of the men were converts to Islam.

The informant who sold the inactive missile and inert C-4 explosives to the men said he passed himself off as a member of a Pakistani terrorist group that has known ties to Pakistani intelligence.

The informant also said that during the year-long undercover operation, the men bought a digital camera to take pictures of their targets, spoke in code and often expressed their hatred of Jews.

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HALLE BERRY TO BE HONORED WITH DECADE OF HOTNESS AWARD

Hollywood has honored HALLE BERRY with numerous awards for her acting skills, including an Oscar, but Spike TV wants to honor her for her hotness.  The channel's third annual "Guys Choice" awards will be handed out next month and Berry has been named the recipient of this year's "Decade of Hotness Award."  Spike TV says the honor is in recognition of Berry's killer combination of great acting and sex appeal.

SACHA BARON COHEN of Borat and Ali G fame will be honored at this year's event with the prestigious "Funniest M.F. Award."

JUDD APATOW, the Hollywood producer behind such films as Knocked Up, The 40-Year-old Virgin, Superbad and Pineapple Express, will be presented with Spike TV's "Mankind Award" in recognition of his contributions to "the betterment of mankind."

The "Guys Choice" awards will be taped Saturday, May 30th in Los Angeles and broadcast on Spike TV June 21st.

Music History for Friday, 5/22/09

2000 - STEELY DAN received the Founders Award for a lifetime of songwriting at the ASCAP Pop Music Awards.

2000 - R&B supergroup LUCY PEARL gave a free concert at the NBA Store in New York City. The three singers were RAPHAEL SAADIQ (ex-TONY, TONI, TONE), DAWN ROBINSON (ex-EN VOGUE) and ALI SHAHEED MUHAMMED (ex-A TRIBE CALLED QUEST).

1999 - New Jersey's Continental Airlines Arena sold out of tickets for 15 BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN & THE E STREET BAND shows.

1997 - FLEETWOD MAC performed the first of two MTV Unplugged specials that would be aired in the summer of 1997.

1992 - MICHAEL JACKSON financed the funeral of a nine-year-old boy who had been killed in a drive-by shooting.

1990 - A Colorado judge dismissed drug and assault charges against gonzo journalist HUNTER S. THOMPSON. Police raided Thompson's home in Aspen, Colorado following allegations of assault by a female visitor.

1989 - Rap group PUBLIC ENEMY fired PROFESSOR GRIFF, their "Minister of Information," after he made anti-Semitic remarks in the Washington Post. 

1985 - WHAM! had the number one single with "Everything She Wants."

1980 - In New York, five gold records that belonged to JIMI HENDRIX were stolen from the Electric Ladyland studios.

1976 - WINGS started a five-week run at number one on the singles chart with "Silly Love Songs."

1972 - THE CHI-LITES were at number one with "Oh Girl."

1971 - THE ROLLING STONES had their second U.S. number one LP with Sticky Fingers.

1967 - On The Tonight Show, FLORENCE BALLARD appeared with THE SUPREMES for the last time.

1966 - A 16-year-old BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN wrote his first two songs in the back of a '61 Mercury on the way to a recording studio.

1966 - The number one song was "When A Man Loves A Woman" by PERCY SLEDGE.

1965 - THE BEATLES had their eighth U.S. number one single with "Ticket To Ride." The label on the 45 said the song was from the film Eight Arms To Hold You. That title eventually became Help!

1964 - THE BEATLES had their second number one LP in the U.S. with The Beatles Second Album. It replaced Meet The Beatles at the top of the album chart.

1958 - JERRY LEE LEWIS announced he had married his 13-year-old cousin, MYRA.

1955 - A scheduled dance to be headlined by FATS DOMINO was canceled by police in Bridgeport, Connecticut because "rock and roll dances might be featured."

1954 - BOB DYLAN had his bar mitzvah. He was still known as ROBERT ALLEN ZIMMERMAN at the time.

General History for Friday, 5/22/09

1761 - In Philadelphia, the first life insurance policy was issued in the U.S.

1841 - Henry Kennedy received a patent for the first reclining chair.

1849 - Abraham Lincoln received a patent for the floating dry dock.

1859 - Sherlock Holmes author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was born.

1868 - The "Great Train Robbery" took place in Indiana. The robbery was worth $96,000 in cash, gold and bonds to the seven members of the Reno gang.

1891 - The first public motion picture was given in Thomas Edison's lab.

1892 - Dr. Sheffield, a British dentist, invented the toothpaste tube.

1908 - The Wright brothers registered their flying machine for a U.S. patent.

1939 - Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini signed a military alliance between Germany and Italy known as the "Pact of Steel."

1955 - Jack Benny did his last live network radio broadcast after a run of 23 years. He devoted his time fully to TV.

1967 - Mister Rogers' Neighborhood premiered on PBS.

1977 - Janet Guthrie set the fastest time of the second weekend of qualifying, becoming the first woman to earn a starting spot in the Indianapolis 500 since its inception in 1911.

1985 - Pete Rose passed Hank Aaron as National League career run scoring leader with 2,108.

1986 - Sylvester Stallone agreed to a 10-picture, six-year deal with United Artists. He signed for a reported $15 million for each film.

1992 - Johnny Carson hosted The Tonight Show for the final time.

1998 - A federal judge said Secret Service agents could be compelled to testify before a grand jury in Monica Lewinsky investigation concerning President Clinton.

2002 - Chandra Levy's remains were found in Washington, D.C.'s Rock Creek Park. She was last seen on April 30th, 2001. California Congressman Gary Condit was questioned in the case due to his relationship with Levy.

2002 - Barry Bonds of the San Francisco Giants hit his 583rd career home run, tying him with Mark McGwire for fifth on the all-time list.


Music News for Monday, 5/25/09

2000 - PAUL McCARTNEY was awarded the first Fellowship of the British Academy of Composers & Songwriters Award during the annual Ivor Novello Awards in London.

1997 - BOB DYLAN was admitted to a Los Angeles hospital with chest pains. As a result, his European tour was canceled.

1996 - BRADLEY NOWELL, lead singer of the group SUBLIME, died of a heroin overdose in a San Francisco hotel room.

1992 - KHALIL ROUNTREE, tour manager for BOYZ II MEN, was shot and killed at a Chicago hotel.

1991 - RANDY TRAVIS and LIB HATCHER were married.

1990 - LOU GRAMM quit FOREIGNER to start a solo career.

1988 - DEBBIE GIBSON'S "Foolish Beat" hit number one, making her the youngest artist to write, sing and produce a chart-topping hit. She was 17 years old at the time.

1983 - "Flashdance...What A Feeling" by IRENE CARA was the number one song. 

1982 - Singer BILLY POWELL of THE O'JAYS died from cancer.

1978 - PAUL McGUINNESS saw a band called THE HYPE at the Project Arts Centre in Dublin, Ireland. He liked them so much, he became their manager. The Hype soon changed their name to U2.

1978 - KEITH MOON performed with THE WHO for the last time.

1975 - FREDDY FENDER had the number one song with "Before The Next Teardrop Falls."

1974 - PAM MORRISON, JIM MORRISON'S widow, died of a drug overdose.

1968 - SIMON & GARFUNKEL had the number one album with Bookends.

1965 - KINKS lead guitarist DAVE DAVIES was knocked unconscious when he stumbled into drummer MICK AVORY'S cymbal during a London performance. The band cancelled the rest of the tour.

1962 - THE ISLEY BROTHERS released "Twist And Shout."

General History for Monday, 5/25/09

1787 - The Constitutional convention opened in Philadelphia with George Washington presiding.

1844 - The gasoline engine was patented by Stuart Perry.

1895 - Oscar Wilde, a playwright, poet and novelist, was convicted of a morals charge and sentenced to prison in London.

1925 - John Scopes was indicted for teaching the Darwinian theory in school.

1927 - Ford Motor Company announced the Model A would replace the Model T.

1935 - Babe Ruth hit his final home run, his 714th. His career record stood until Hank Aaron broke it in 1974. Barry Bonds would later break Aaron's record.

1935 - Jesse Owens tied the world record for the 100-yard dash. He ran it in 9.4 seconds. He also broke three other world track records.

1983 - The Return of the Jedi opened nationwide. It set a new record in opening day box office sales with $6,219,629.

1989 - The Calgary Flames won their first NHL Stanley Cup by defeating the Montreal Canadiens.

1992 - Jay Leno debuted as the new permanent host of NBC's Tonight Show.

1997 - Senator Strom Thurmond became the longest-serving senator in U.S. history at 41 years and 10 months.

2001 - Thirty-two-year-old Erik Weihenmeyer, of Golden, Colorado, became the first blind climber to reach the summit of Mount Everest.


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TV IN BRIEF

The New York Post quotes sources as saying NBC paid five million dollars for the rights to Farrah's Story, the documentary that follows FARRAH FAWCETT's ongoing battle with cancer.  The film aired last Friday and attracted nine million viewers, according to Nielsen Media Research...

Dancing With the Stars co-host SAMANTHA HARRIS will be swapping the ballroom for Broadway this July when she heads to New York for a six-week run as Roxie Hart in the musical Chicago.  Harris says she has a musical theater background and is ecstatic about the opportunity.  Harris' run as Roxie starts July 7th, so she'll be back in L.A. in plenty of time for season nine of Dancing With the Stars...

...and this from our "Six Degrees of Story Separation" file: Actor GEORGE HAMILTON underwent surgery in Chicago Thursday to have his right knee replaced.  The 69-year-old Hamilton first injured the knee while starring in the musical Chicago on Broadway and re-injured it while competing on Dancing With the Stars in 2006...

Prosecutors in Los Angeles say they won’t be proceeding with assault charges against stand-up comic ROBERT SCHIMMEL because his wife, the alleged victim, declined to press charges, and investigators determined there wasn't enough evidence.  Schimmel was accused of attacking his wife at their L.A. home on May 2nd.  Published reports say she won't be pressing charges but has filed for divorce...


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SPRINT CUP SERIES HEADS TO LOWES MOTOR SPEEDWAY MAYFIELD ATTORNEY WEIGHS LEGAL ACTION

Sprint Cup drivers resume earning season points with this weekend's Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina.  JEFF GORDON has five career wins at the track and is coming off three consecutive top 10s, while veteran MARK MARTIN leads all active drivers with 17 top fives at Lowe's.  KASEY KAHNE is the defending race winner.  Coverage begins at 5 p.m. Eastern time on Fox.

In off-the-track news, an attorney for suspended driver JEREMY MAYFIELD says his client is considering legal action against NASCAR to have his suspension for alleged use of a banned substance lifted.  ESPN.com reports attorney BILL DIEHL met with NASCAR officials for more than an hour Thursday, and hinted to reporters afterwards that he may take legal action today to challenge the suspension and the validity of the drug test NASCAR employed.

Mayfield was suspended indefinitely earlier this month after a drug test came back positive for a banned substance.  Mayfield claims he accidentally mixed a prescription drug with two over-the-counter Claritin D pills during the recent Richmond race because his allergies were bad.


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MOVIES IN BRIEF

British actress LUCY GORDON, who played reporter Jennifer Dugan in Spider-Man 3, was found dead in her Paris apartment on Wednesday.  Police believe she committed suicide.  Gordon would have turned 29 today...

Variety reports ZACH BRAFF is in talks to direct and star in a comedy titled Swingles.  He'd also rewrite the script for the film, about a bachelor who uses a woman he dislikes in order to meet single ladies.  CAMERON DIAZ is attached to the project...

According to Variety, ROSARIO DAWSON will join KEVIN JAMES in the romantic comedy The Zookeeper.  In the film, zoo animals attempt to help the title character with his love life by educating him on their mating habits...

MICHAEL MOORE will release his next documentary on October 2nd.  As previously announced, the currently-untitled film will focus on the global economic crisis...

Here's a movie idea you can chew on.  The Hollywood Reporter says a film based on the comic strip character Bazooka Joe is planned.  The eye patch-wearing Bazooka Joe and his buddies are featured in a mini comic strip that's included in Bazooka bubble gum...


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TOP TEN DVD RENTALS

Here's a look at the week's top 10 video rentals, courtesy of the Video Software Dealers Association:

1. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
2. Bride Wars
3. Last Chance Harvey
4. Hotel for Dogs
5. The Uninvited
6. Seven Pounds
7. Yes Man
8. Marley & Me
9. The Day the Earth Stood Still
10. The Wrestler


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SON BEATS UP MOM OVER FRENCH FRIES

A teenager from Port Deposit, Maryland managed to fry into a rage when his mother wouldn't share her meal with him.  Seventeen-year-old Dennis Hickman III has been charged as an adult with first- and second-degree assault for beating his mother with an aluminum baseball bat when she refused to give him any of her French fries Tuesday night.  Police say Hickman also slashed the tires on his mother's car and kicked the vehicle's front door, knocking it off its hinges.  Hickman's mother went to the hospital where she was treated for injuries to her head, wrist and leg.


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BABYSITTER LEAVES KID ALONE TO PLAY VIDEO GAMES

It's game over for one babysitter in Kennesaw, Georgia.  Police arrested a 56-year-old woman Wednesday after she left a one-year-old baby she was looking after in a car while she went to play video games inside a gas station.  The woman left the child alone for about 25 minutes while leaving the windows in her van open about an inch.  It's unclear if the child suffered any injuries.