GLOBAL news - On Tuesday, after a forensic expert testified about heart-shaped stickers found in Casey Anthony's bedroom, a tattoo artist testified about a tattoo he gave Anthony on July 2, 2008 that reads "Bella Vita."
Bobby Williams, the tattoo artist, said he has known Anthony for seven years and that she called a few days ahead of time to make the appointment.
"Bella Vita" means "beautiful life" in Italian, reports CBS affiliate WKMG. Anthony got the tattoo while her daughter Caylee was still missing.
Williams testified that Anthony seemed happy when she came into the shop. Several of her friends have previously testified that her demeanor remained upbeat during the time that Caylee was missing before it was reported, the station reports.
Williams said Anthony told him Caylee was with her nanny, but when she made another appointment for July 19, 2008, she said Caylee would come with her for that. Caylee was last seen in mid-June and reported missing on July 15, 2008. Anthony was arrested on July 16.
The state said it will present the definition of "Bella Vita" to the jury on Wednesday and then rest its case early that day. The jury will then be excused for the day, then the defense will argue its motion for acquittal. The defense said it will be ready to begin presenting its case on Thursday.
Anthony, 25, has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder in the death of her 2-year-old daughter and could face a death sentence if convicted. Prosecutors contend Casey Anthony suffocated Caylee with duct tape, while the defense says she drowned in her grandparents' pool.
Caylee's remains were found in a wooded area near the Anthony home in December 2008. [CBS/ris]
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Richard Jones of Brookfield spent four months in Louisiana helping communities rebuild after Hurricane Katrina. Now, he needs a little help himself, but a lone U.S. senator is blocking the way.
Jones, 29, is among the 15,000 Illinoisans whose unemployment benefits expire today because of a filibuster by U.S. Sen. Jim Bunning (R-Ky.) Bunning is using Senate rules to block a vote to fund extended benefits for people nationwide who have exhausted the basic 26 weeks of coverage.
Even with an unemployment check, it has been hard to make ends meet, said Jones, a former trucking supervisor jobless since January 2009. "All my savings is gone," he said. "If I hurt myself, I can't even go to the doctor."
Jones has a bachelor's degree in urban planning, which he put to use working with a private contractor on post-Katrina rebuilding in 2005. Nowadays, he said, he has a hard time getting callbacks despite an incessant job hunt.
He joined U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) at a press conference Sunday to highlight the benefits cutoff, which also applies to subsidies under the Cobra health program.
Bunning has held up a vote, challenging Democrats to find $10 billion in savings somewhere so its cost won't add to the deficit. His tactic has thwarted those who want to fund the extended benefits at least through March 31.
Durbin said he will return to the Senate today to ask Bunning to drop the filibuster. If the Republican does not relent, the Senate could save the legislation with parliamentary moves, but benefits still would be interrupted, perhaps for weeks, Durbin said.
"I know we are in tough times with our deficit and with our debt, but we are a caring nation," Durbin said. Citing the Illinois unemployment rate of 11.1 percent, Durbin said, "This is truly an economic emergency in our time."
People unemployed for an extended period can qualify for benefits for up to 99 weeks. In Illinois, with 550,000 drawing unemployment checks, the first 26 weeks comes from an insurance program funded by employers, while the federal government picks up the rest.
Durbin spoke at the Chicago Workforce Center, a job referral service at 1700 W. 18th St. operated by the National Able Network. Grace Jenkins, president of the network, said 500 to 700 people use the location per day.
Also facing a cutoff is David Seanior, 29, of Chatham, out of work since losing a job at AT&T in August 2008. He has a fiancee and a 3-year-old daughter. The long job hunt has "become very taxing on my confidence as a man," he said.
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Guru, a rapper from the pioneering hip-hop group Gang Starr, is in a coma after suffering a heart attack over the weekend; DJ Premier, the other half of Gang Starr, first confirmed the news on his Sirius Satellte Radio Show Sunday.
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The 43 year-old, whose real name is Keith Elam, will reportedly undergo surgery Monday in a New York City hospital.
Hip-hop producer Solar, who works with the rapper, tells UsMagazine.com: "Guru is struggling with a serious health issue. We appreciate all your love and well wishes. we continue to hold out hope that Guru will make a full recovery from this, and ask that his privacy on this matter be respected. Again Thank you for all your support through this trying time."
Check out photos of music superstars at last month's Grammys
Guru -- whose last solo album Guru 8.0 was released last May -- was named #45 in a "Top 50 MCs of Our Time" list at about.com.
LOS ANGELES – Marie Osmond's 18-year-old son Michael Blosil has died, the entertainer said Saturday.
Osmond said in a statement through her publicist that her family is devastated by the "tragic loss." She did not provide details on the death.
Entertainment Tonight reported on its Web site that Blosil jumped to his death Friday night from a downtown Los Angeles apartment building.
Officers responded to an apparent suicide jump in the area, but the victim was not identified Saturday, Los Angeles Police Officer Gregory Baek said.
"My family and I are devastated and in deep shock by the tragic loss of our dear Michael and ask that everyone respect our privacy during this difficult time," Osmond said in the statement.
Blosil reportedly left a note which referred to a lifelong battle with depression.
In 2007, Osmond said Michael was treated at a rehabilitation facility, but she didn't disclose the nature of his problem.
Donny Osmond, Blosil's uncle, told Entertainment Tonight: "Please pray for my sister and her family."
Michael is one of Osmond's five adopted children. She also has three other children from two marriages. She divorced Brian Blosil in 2007 after two decades of marriage. She and her first husband Stephen Craig divorced in 1985.
Osmond earned fame at age 13 with the hit song "Paper Roses," and starred with her brother, Donny, on television's "Donny and Marie Show" during the 1970s.
They perform a musical variety show regularly at the Flamingo Las Vegas Hotel and Casino. The hotel said Saturday's performance was canceled.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 | |
| Born | August 7, 1987 , Cole Harbour, NS, CAN |
| Height Weight | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) 200 lb (91 kg; 14 st 4 lb) |
| Position | Centre |
| Shoots | Left |
| NHL team | Pittsburgh Penguins |
| Ntl. team |  Canada |
| NHL Draft | 1st overall, 2005 Pittsburgh Penguins |
| Playing career | 2005 – present |
| Website | crosby87.com |
Sidney Patrick Crosby ONS (born August 7, 1987) is a Canadian professional ice hockey player and captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League (NHL). Crosby was drafted by the Penguins out of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) first overall after earning back-to-back CHL Player of the Year awards and leading his club to the 2005 Memorial Cup during his two-year major junior career with the Rimouski Océanic. Nicknamed "The Next One",[1][2] he was one of the most highly regarded draft picks in hockey history, leading many to refer to the 2005 Draft Lottery as the "Sidney Crosby Sweepstakes".[3]
In his first season, he finished sixth in scoring with 102 points (39 goals, 63 assists). By his second season, he led the NHL with 120 points (36 goals, 84 assists) to capture the Art Ross Trophy, becoming the youngest player and the only teenager to win a scoring title in any major North American sports league.[4] That same season, Crosby won the Hart Memorial Trophy as the most valuable player as determined by the Professional Hockey Writers Association, and the Lester B. Pearson Award as the most valuable player as determined by the NHL Players Association. He is the seventh player in NHL history to have earned all three awards.[5] After losing to the Detroit Red Wings in the 2008 Stanley Cup Finals, Crosby won his first Stanley Cup in 2009, becoming the youngest captain in NHL history to win the championship.[6]
Internationally, Crosby has represented Team Canada in two World Junior Championships, winning silver in 2004 and gold in 2005. In the 2010 Winter Olympics, Crosby scored the game-winning goal against the United States to win the gold medal for Canada 3–2 in overtime.
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