When Rabbi Shmuley Boteach brought his children to play with Michael Jackson’s kids at Neverland Ranch some eight years ago, the rabbi’s youngsters naturally made a beeline for the fabulous rides — the Ferris wheel, the roller coaster, the bumper cars.

But when Jackson’s own kids asked to go on the rides, he gently reminded them of the family rules, according to Boteach: The rides were only for birthdays or special occasions. “He was very concerned that the kids grow up with the right values,” says Boteach, Jackson’s former friend and spiritual adviser. Continue Reading »

– Fans continued to register by the thousands early Saturday, hoping to be among the 8,750 people who will be randomly picked to attend the memorial service for singer Michael Jackson next week.

By 5:30 p.m. PT (8:30 p.m. ET) Friday, seven hours since the lottery’s announcement, more than half a million people had registered to snag a pair of tickets to the ceremony at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, according to Jackson family spokesman Ken Sunshine. Continue Reading »

Serena Williams has avenged last year’s Wimbledon final defeat by sister Venus to claim the grass-court major for the third time.

The 27-year-old, who also beat her older sibling in winning in 2002 and 2003, triumphed 7-6 (7-3) -2 with a powerful display on Center Court on Saturday to celebrate American Independence Day. Continue Reading »

The Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office on Friday released a second sketch of a man believed to have fatally shot four people in less than a week near Gaffney, South Carolina.

“Let me say that, under the FBI’s definition of a serial killer, yes, we have a serial killer,” Sheriff Bill Blanton told reporters in Gaffney, a town in the county of about 54,000 residents some 50 miles southwest of Charlotte, North Carolina. Continue Reading »

– Vice President Joe Biden celebrated American patriotism and mocked the ghost of Saddam Hussein during a Fourth of July visit to Iraq on Saturday

He presided at a naturalization ceremony at one of Hussein’s former palaces, where 237 U.S. service members were sworn in to become American citizens. Continue Reading »

The odds of winning Saturday’s lottery for 17,500 free tickets to Michael Jackson memorial may be long, judging from traffic to the Staples Center Web site Friday

Web servers counted a half-billion “hits” in the first 90 minutes the lottery registration site was online, a Jackson family spokesman said. One visitor can generate many “hits” by repeated attempts, and scalpers use a variety of methods to generate multiple “hits” in order to get as many tickets to an event as possible. Continue Reading »

 

The powerful sedative Diprivan was found in Michael Jackson’s home, a law enforcement official said Friday as the city planned for a massive crowd at the singer’s memorial service.

Diprivan is an anesthetic widely used in operating rooms to induce unconsciousness. Also known as Propofol, it’s given intravenously and is very unusual to have in a private home. Continue Reading »

Gov. Sarah Palin announced Friday that she will step down as Alaska’s chief executive by the end of the month. She will not seek election to a second gubernatorial term in 2010

As the 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee, Palin had been considered one of the front-runners for the GOP nomination in 2012.

“People who know me know that besides faith and family, nothing’s more important to me than our beloved Alaska,” Palin said in an announcement from her home in Wasilla. “Serving her people is the greatest honor I could imagine.” Continue Reading »

– A sailor found dead earlier this week at California’s Camp Pendleton was shot while standing sentry, and a fire was set in an attempt to cover up evidence, the U.S. Navy said

The death of Seaman August Provost of Houston, Texas, is being investigated as a homicide, Capt. Matt Brown told reporters on Thursday. A sailor is in custody in the case, Brown said. Continue Reading »

 

A Long Island, New York, social worker is facing two misdemeanor charges after allegedly posting a sexually suggestive ad on Craigslist that gave interested parties the home phone number of a 9-year-old girl. Continue Reading »

 

Jermaine Jackson said Thursday that he wishes he had died instead of Michael, and referred to his younger brother as “a gift from Allah” in an emotional interview with the “Today” show’s Matt Lauer at Neverland Ranch.      

       “He went too soon,” Jermaine said. “I don’t know how people are going to take this, but I wish it was me.” Continue Reading »

 Michael Jackson and Diana Ross shared a bond that he apparently thought would last long after his death.

In his will Jackson wanted Ross — who took him under her wing and who he called one of his dearest friends — to take care of his children if his mother, Katherine Jackson, was not alive or was unable to do so.

While the public may have been surprised at Jackson’s decision, the two have a long history together. Continue Reading »