Cover Up? No Drugs Found In Aaron Hernandez’s System, Current Estate Valued At $0

(SL) – There’s something very off about the death of former NFL player Aaron Hernandez.

The body of the ex-pro reportedly did not contain any traces of drugs, according to toxicology reports.

After Hernandez’s body was found hanging from a sheet in his cell at Souza Baranowski Correctional Center in Shirley, Massachusetts earlier this month, authorities ruled it out as a suicide. Claims soon surfaced that he could’ve smoked synthetic marijuana before allegedly killing himself, but those reports have been refuted.

Sources say the tests performed as part of Hernandez’s autopsy showed he hadn’t used any illegal drugs or synthetic marijuana ‘K2’.

The toxicology results came around the same time Hernandez’s close jailhouse friend and alleged lover Kyle Kennedy said he would not be surprised if the synthetic drug played some part in his death, according to the Boston Herald.  And speaking of Kennedy, none of the letters released have indicated that there was anything outside of a friendship going on between the two.

Kennedy is serving 3-5 years for armed robbery. Hernandez reportedly requested to be housed with Kennedy in his cell, but was denied. That’s no indication that anything was going on between the two. A lot of prisoners complain about not having a cellmate in isolation.

Hernandez  reportedly wrote suicide notes to his fiancee, daughter, and Kennedy, who allegedly was put on suicide watch after his death. It’s being reported that the notes were tucked next to a Bible that was opened to verse 3:16 – the words of which were also written on his forehead in red ink.

The Daily Mail reports, it has been speculated that Hernandez’s sexual orientation may have been a motive for the murder of Odin Loyd, for which he was imprisoned. In April 2015, Hernandez was convicted for shooting and killing Lloyd, a semi-professional football player, on June 17, 2013.

Lloyd may have known that Hernandez was carrying on an affair with a male friend who was forced to testify before the grand jury in the Lloyd case.

Five days before he died, he had been acquitted in a double-murder. His death came on the same day his former teammates visited the White House after winning their fifth Super Bowl.

There are also reports that a civil fight could be brewing with family members of the victims wanting to cash in on a portion of the estimated 3.5 million that could be released to his estate from the NFL.  However, currently the estate is valued at $0.

 

UGA Releases Potential Player After Alleged Assault

(SL) – The University of Georgia Bulldog football team is down one offensive lineman after he was arrested for allegedly hitting and choking his girlfriend on Saturday night. D’Antne Demery was due to join the Bulldogs in the summer.

He was released from his letter of intent with the team on Sunday, shortly after he was released from jail on bond.

Demery is accused of grabbing the mother of his one-month-old child outside of the Waffle House in Athens and throwing her against the wall.

The altercation happened the evening of UGA’s intrasquad scrimmage G-Day game, which he attended. Demery is charged with simple assault and criminal trespassing.

Family Lays Aaron Hernandez To Rest, Prepares To Fight Suicide Notion

(SL) — Funeral services were held for former New England Patriots star Aaron Hernandez. The 27-year-old Hernandez reportedly took his own life in a Massachusetts prison cell last week, where he was serving a life sentence for murder. Today’s services for Hernandez in his hometown of Bristol, Connecticut were by invitation only. A private burial will take place at a later date.

In related news, the family of the  former New England Patriots tight end will gain access to three handwritten notes that the player allegedly wrote before he killed himself, a lawyer for the family said Monday.

Attorney George Leontire told reporters early Monday afternoon that a Bristol Superior Court judge in New Bedford, Mass., ordered the release of the notes to the family, the Boston Globe reported.

The legal action came minutes before funeral services were scheduled to. As part of his motion, Leontire said Hernandez’s family deserved “know their loved one’s final thoughts” and termed it a necessary part of the “grieving process.”

Superior Court Judge Thomas F. McGuire Jr., in an order to the office of Worcester District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr., wrote that “the note(s) shall be produced in time for the family to have them for his burial, which is scheduled for this afternoon.”

A spokesman for Early’s office said copies of the notes were being prepared to send to Hernandez’s family. As part of McGuire’s order, the district attorney was to redact any information that would be pertinent to an ongoing investigation into Hernandez’s death.

Guards discovered the 27-year-old Hernandez in his single cell at the Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center in Shirley just after 3 a.m. ET last Wednesday morning. He was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital about an hour later.

Hernandez was serving a life sentence for the murder of Odin Lloyd. The state medical examiner officially ruled it a suicide on Thursday, but his family doesn’t believed that Hernandez took his own life. Three handwritten notes were found in the cell but the contents weren’t immediately released. John 3:16 had also been written on the former NFL starts forehead.

While Leontire said he did not know who the recipients of the notes were, the newspaper reported that one of them was addressed to his fiancee, Shayanna Jenkins Hernandez, and another to their 4-year-old daughter.

Prior to his death, reports claimed he had been in a few altercations with gang members in the prison. The 27-year old reportedly was found naked, hanging in his cell. Thoughts of foul play have been shared but until a complete investigation is complete no one will know.

Jimmy Choo Is Up For Sale!

(SL) – The luxury shoe and accessories maker said today it’s open to offers for the company. The British fashion retailer says the move is aimed at maximizing shareholder value and that majority shareholder JAB Luxury supports finding a buyer. The company says no one has come forward with offers to buy yet.

Hawks vs Wizards Game 3 Post Game Presser With Paul Millsap And Dennis Schroder

(SL) – The great comeback indeed! The Hawks were phenomenal against the Wizards during game 3 of the playoffs. After falling 0-2 and determined to get their MMA skills up, it looks like Atlanta came ready to battle. John Wall didn’t have much help making it an easier win than anticipated. Post Game with Atlanta’s ball master and the golden kid as they talk about resetting the series and leaving their mark on Washington.

Celtics Star Isaiah Thomas Loses Little Sister In Car Crash

(SL) – According to a release from the Washington State Patrol, 22-year-old Chyna Thomas was heading southbound on I-5 just north of 288th when her 1998 Toyota Camry went off the road to the left jersey barrier. The car landed on the barrier hitting a pole. She was not wearing her seatbelt and was pronounced dead on the scene.

Troopers say even if she had been wearing a safety belt, they can’t say for sure if it would have saved her life.

“But without the seatbelt, you just don’t have a chance,” Sgt. Tina Martin said.

The fatal accident is still under investigation, but Washington State Patrol says the sister of NBA star Isaiah Thomas may have fallen asleep behind the wheel.

“This was just a casual drift off to the left until something stopped that vehicle. No braking – nothing to show she tried to stop her vehicle before impact,” Martin said, explaining witnesses told WSP they saw Thomas driving normally up until the crash.

A toxicology report is still due from the medical examiner; however, WSP says they found no drugs or alcohol at the scene.

 

Thomas was a graduate of the Tacoma School of the Arts, according to Tacoma Public Schools.

Friends of hers preferred not going on camera but said she was “awesome and had a great personality.”

Her older brother, Boston Celtics star Isaiah Thomas played against the Chicago Bulls on Sunday. Tears streaming down his face  he wrote a tribute to his little sis on his shoes….“Chyna,” “4-15-17,” and “I love you.”

Isaiah Thomas’ teammate and good friend Avery Bradley, told reporters in Boston on Monday the game took a toll emotionally. Many questioned why Thomas would play after the tragedy. Bradley touched on that with his statement.“It was draining. You know, I said it last night. We just were playing for each other. We know it’s tough times right now,” Bradley said. “It’s just a sanctuary being on the basketball court. For us to make him feel happy and make him feel like we have his back, as brothers that’s what you’re supposed to do.”

Thomas scored 33 points with his angel on his shoulders. No funeral date has been set yet.

Culture Clash? Janet Jackson Splits From Qatari Husband

(SL) – Didn’t see this happening. But I will admit that it certainly looked like Damita Jo was changing her whole lifestyle to fit Wissam Al Mana’s. But isn’t that what love is all about? Compromising? Has to come from both sides though and reportedly that was the breaker for these two.

The timing is interesting however. Granted Ms. Jackson has her own coins, but reportedly she was guaranteed a payout in their prenup if the marriage lasted 5 years. The two tied the knot in 2012 and now just 3 months after giving birth to their son Eissa it appears to be a wrap.

After becoming one with the billionaire businessman, Janet was seen covered head to toe and sometimes with a head wrap and often speaking to friends and fans with the use of Muslim lingo like, “Inshallah” (God Willing) or Al Hamdu Lillah which translates as (Praise God).

While some say it wasn’t so much her husband’s religion, but his introversion — verging on being an extreme recluse — that started to drive Janet away. Having settled in London to appease him (they also have a home in Doha, Qatar, and an apartment in the Trump Tower in New York), she allegedly resented Wissam for refusing to meet her family and friends and for trying to keep her away from the public eye.

Other sources say a clash of cultures has in fact driven Janet and Wissam apart, made worse since the birth of baby Eissa, over whose upbringing and day-to-day care they couldn’t agree on.

The Daily Mail reports, while Janet is keen to be a hands-on mother, Wissam has strict views on how his son should be brought up, and has hired round-the-clock staff to wait on his wife and child in their Belgravia home.

The baby has never been seen in public, and Janet was reportedly forbidden from leaving the house while she was nursing. Wissam, too, has disappeared from sight.

‘Janet thought he had become too controlling during the pregnancy,’ explains one source saying, “She had already allowed him to dictate her appearance and even the way she performed at concerts. It drove her crazy, and she felt she was losing her fan base.”

The real point of contention landed last month when Janet’s 86-year-old mother was forced to return to Los Angeles after a two-month stay with the couple.

Katherine, the long-suffering matriarch of the Jackson family, is embroiled in an unpleasant court case against her nephew-in-law and former driver, Trent, whom she claims has been bullying and spying on her with hidden cameras in her LA home.

She came to England in February to meet her new grandson, but also to seek reprieve from the campaign of abuse to which she claims to have been subjected. She only returned to LA when a judge ordered her to appear as a witness in the case.

Janet, who’s always been extremely close to her mother, was juggling the demands of a newborn with comforting Katherine, but Wissam is said to have shown a callous lack of interest in his mother-in-law’s plight.

Cynics may look at the timing of Eissa’s arrival and the break-up of her marriage and wonder if Janet stuck it out simply so she could achieve her dream of motherhood OR cash in on a bigger payout.

It’s important to point out that neither party has yet filed for divorce, but the fact that around five years have passed makes it interesting.

Whatever the case, it’s sad to see Janet’s third marriage potentially coming to an end. She’s always felt that she was jinxed when it came to love and this latest breakup could make her 0-3 in that department. Let’s hope it’s just a rumor.

 

Hawks Stun Cavs With Second Stream Team, Playoffs In Sight

(Cleveland, OH) – The Atlanta Hawks traveled to Cleveland to complete the 2nd game of a back to back that pitted them against the top two teams in the Eastern Conference. The Hawks came out victorious on the first night at Philips Arena vs the Boston Celtics, but of course there was no way the Hawks could travel to Cleveland without rest, take on LeBron and the Cavs and return back home with another win, right?Wrong!

The Hawks went into Quicken Loans and played like they owned the place.Coach Bud went with a completely different lineup in Cleveland. Only 10 players in rotation and none of them were starters. Paul Millsap, Dwight Howard, Dennis Schroeder, and Kent Bazemore all missed this game, but no worries.

The Hawks reserves showed up ready to ball, and that’s exactly what the did! The Cavs didn’t have an answer for this Hawks lineup for most of the 1st half.At one point in the first period the Cavs were up by 5, but the Hawks were able to tighten up, erase their deficit and take a 2 point lead of their own into the 2nd quarter by outscoring the Cavs 21-19.

The 2nd quarter was barely underway and in the blink of an eye the Hawks had already went up 30-21. Atlanta went up by 12 in the period, but the Cavs set into a little groove and went on a 9-0 run to cut the lead to 3, but the Hawks continued to play well throughout the remainder of the period and were able to take a 2 point lead into halftime. At this point the Hawks were looking like they stood a decent chance vs the best team in the East even with their stars on the bench.

This was a huge surprise to everyone.As The 3rd quarter got underway the Hawks still appeared to be in great shape to steal a win in Cleveland. The Cavs got a quick basket to tie the game at 52 a piece, then proceeded to take the lead with around 11 minutes to go in the 3rd. The Cavs held on to this lead until Mike Dunleavy made a 3 pointer with 5:33 left in the period to give the Hawks a 1 point advantage.

Both teams would battle for the lead for the rest of the 3rd but the Hawks were able to outscore the Cavs once again and went into the final period on top 83-78.This is when the real magic happened for the Hawks. Kyle Korver made a 3 pointer with 9:04 remaining on the clock to give Cleveland a 2 point lead.

Little did they know this would be the last lead they would see for the rest of this game. The Hawks proceeded to go on a spectacular 29-7 run to close out the game and get themselves a well deserved 114-110 victory vs the defending champs.The player of the game would definitely have to be Tim Hardaway Jr. Hardaway Jr had a terrific night with 22 points on 9-14 shooting in 26 minutes on the court.

Timmy had great game, but this was the definition of a team victory for the Hawks. The bench for the Hawks contributed 55 points while the Cavaliers bench only gave them 21. Mike Dunleavy went 6-9 from the floor for 20 points to help give the Hawks that extra push that would eventually win them this game.LeBron James spent 41 minutes on the floor, but his 27 points weren’t nearly enough to help his team out of the hole they had began digging as soon as this game began.

Kyrie Irving added 18 points and dished out 7 assist in the loss. The 41-38 Hawks will return home to Philips Arena to take on the 51-28 Cavaliers one more time Sunday.

By Kennan Johnson

Trump Goes Against His Own Words With Attack On Syria, Russia Is Pissed And Syria Strikes Again

(SL) –  I can understand the moral pressure, but why kill more people to prove a point and put the imminent threat of WWIII on our heads? And……reportedly Syria flew more planes out of the same area that our  missiles hit. What’s more disturbing is the report that Syria hit the same area that was attacked with chemical weapons a few days ago again on Friday.

No report on who exactly executed the bombing, but only Russia and Syria have ordered hits on that particular area.

CNN reports, New airstrikes targeted a town in Syria that was hit by a chemical attack earlier this week, activists said, less than a day after the US bombarded a Syrian air base to “send a message” to the Assad regime.

It wasn’t immediately clear who conducted the strikes on Khan Sheikhoun, which was hit on Friday and Saturday, though only Russian and Syrian regime aircraft have been bombing that area of rebel-held Idlib province.

The latest attacks come after a missile strike early Friday by the United States on a base in western Syria that the United States says was used to launch Tuesday’s chemical attack, which left more than 85 people dead and hundreds more injured.

 The new strikes came as Russia, the Syrian regime’s main ally, sent a frigate armed with cruise missiles to a port in western Syria in an apparent show of force in response to the US action.

The strike is the first direct military action taken by the US against the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in the country’s six-year civil war. It represents a substantial escalation of the US military campaign in the region, and could be interpreted by the Syrian government as an act of war.

Shift in policy

Trump’s decision marked a dramatic shift in his position on whether the US should take military action against the Syrian President’s regime — which Trump opposed during his campaign for president — and came after the President was visibly and publicly moved by the images of this week’s chemical weapons attack.

Briefing reporters late Thursday night, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said that the strike did not represent a “change in our policy or our posture in Syria,” even though it marked the first time the US had decided to take military action against the Syrian government.

A senior administration official told CNN Friday that the strike should not be interpreted as the beginning of a wider campaign to weaken or remove Assad, but instead is aimed at dealing with the “unacceptability” of Assad’s use of chemical weapons.

This official said the President’s order to his national security team to develop a plan for defeating ISIS remains the priority for the administration. That strategy is actually well on its way to being completed, the official added.

But the strikes represented not only an escalation of the US role in Syria, but could have a ripple effect on the US’ relations with the Syrian regime’s powerful backer, Russia.

Russians were present at the base the US struck, a US defense official said, though the role of those Russians was not immediately known.

A warship armed with cruise missiles has joined the Russian battlegroup off the coast of Syria as part of Moscow’s response to US cruise missile strikes on the Syrian airbase of Shayrat.

Russia’s angry declarations, a world away from hopes of a rapprochement voiced in Washington and Moscow after Donald Trump’s election, have overshadowed US secretary of state Rex Tillerson’s planned visit to Moscow. His anticipated meeting with Vladimir Putin will now be dedicated to reaching an understanding on Syria and addressing concerns over Russia’s suspension of an agreement designed to keep the world’s largest nuclear powers from accidentally clashing there.

The frigate Admiral Grigorovich, reached the group of at least six warships off the coast of Syria, Russia state media reported. It carries Kalibr cruise missiles, the Russian equivalent to the US Tomahawk missiles fired at Shayrat, and has previously fired them at targets in the war-torn country.

While many saw the US strikes as curtailing hopes for better ties between Putin and Trump, some Russians believe they were more posturing than precision warfare.

“There’s a bad scenario with this flexing of muscles. The danger of a clash between the US and Russia in Syria is not pleasant, and it could have bad consequences,” said Fyodor Lukyanov, a leading foreign policy analyst in Moscow.

War Games..Will Syrian Strike Lead To WWIII With Russia?

(SL)- In an attempt to protect Syrian people from their own leader, the United States has finally taken action against  Bashar al-Assad. Assad is accused of ordering a horrific nerve gas (Sarin) attack which killed more than 80 of the dictator’s own citizens including children.

Yes, it’s devastating. But at the end of the day, we’re going to kill people to help people? It’s understood that there will be some collateral damage but what about the bigger picture. Reportedly, Russia is not happy.

Putin called it an ‘illegal act of aggression’ and ripped up an agreement to avoid mid-air clashes between Russian and US fighter jets over Syria.

Allegedly, as an immediate act of payback, Russian or Syrian planes once again bombed the town of Khan Sheikhoun, the same location of the nerve attack.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault, speaking alongside German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel, said, “We do not want an escalation. We have to stop the hypocrisy. If Russia is acting in good faith it should stop and negotiate.”

World leaders praised the US strikes and urged Putin to hold urgent talks with Trump to prevent the Syria crisis escalating into a wider world conflict.

But is it too late? Sources say, Vladimir Putin has vowed to bolster Assad’s air power f leading to fears that the conflict will spiral into and all-out war between Russia and the West.

The Daily Mail reports, Russian warship the Admiral Grigorovich – armed with cruise missiles and a self-defence system – is docking in Syria today after it was immediately diverted from the Black Sea following Donald Trump’s airstrike on al-Shayrat military airfield near Homs, which killed six and destroyed nine Syrian jets.

The US military fired 59 tomahawk missiles at 1.40am today after the US President blamed Bashar al-Assad’s regime for a horrific nerve gas attack which killed more than 80 of the dictator’s own citizens. Footage showing burnt out shelters and hangars and a damaged runway was cheered by tearful Syrians hoping that Trump’s intervention would lead to Assad being overthrown.

 

The US used a special military-to-military hotline to warn Russia it was launching an airstrike on a Syrian air base about 30 minutes in advance – but the Trump administration did not ask Moscow for permission. It is likely Russia alerted the Syrians about the incoming strikes but this has not been confirmed.

Viktor Ozerov, head of the defense committee in the Russian Federation Council, told state news agency RIA that the US strikes ‘may undermine the efforts in the fight against terrorism in Syria.

‘Russia will demand an urgent UN Security Council meeting after the US airstrike on Syrian aviation base. This is an act of aggression against a UN member.’ Russia’s foreign minister says no Russian servicemen have been hurt in the bombing raid. The strikes have won broad international support with officials saying that Canada and other allies were behind the move.

Britain backed the US missile strike, describing it as an ‘appropriate response’, as the government offered its full support to Trump’s targeted assault.

A No 10 spokeswoman said: ‘The UK Government fully supports the US action, which we believe was an appropriate response to the barbaric chemical weapons attack launched by the Syrian regime, and is intended to deter further attacks.’  German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande said Syrian president Assad bore ‘sole responsibility’ for the US strike on a regime airbase.

In a joint statement on Friday, they said: ‘After the chemical weapons massacre of April 4 on Khan Sheikhun in northwestern Syria, a military installation of the Syrian regime was destroyed by a US air strike last night.

‘President Assad bears sole responsibility for this development.’ Hollande added that the US strike was what France had been calling for in the wake of another chemical attack in 2013.

Both he and Merkel said their countries would continue to work with UN partners in ‘efforts to hold President Assad responsible for his criminal acts.’

EU President Donald Tusk said the action demonstrated ‘needed resolve’ against chemical attacks. ‘US strikes show needed resolve against barbaric chemical attacks. EU will work with the US to end brutality in Syria,’ Tusk said in a tweet.

Israel’s prime minister also welcomed the US attack saying he ‘fully supports’ President Trump’s decision.

Benjamin Netanyahu said ‘in both word and action’ Trump ‘sent a strong and clear message’ that ‘the use and spread of chemical weapons will not be tolerated.’

It is not yet clear what China’s response has been to Trump’s decision to brazenly announce the strike on Syria while the president was his guest. China has backed Syrian-ally Russia’s attempts to protect Assad’s government and vetoed six resolutions on Syria.

What’s more, Trump didn’t consult Congress before initiating the attack.