YOUR FRIENDS' ACTIVITY

    LA judge grants Jermaine Jackson name change

    Associated Press – Fri, Feb 22, 2013 4:50 PM EST

    LOS ANGELES (AP) — Jermaine Jackson has a new, brighter surname — Jacksun.

    A Los Angeles judge approved the change to singer's name Friday.

    The 58-year-old, who shared lead singing duties with his younger brother Michael in the Jackson 5, did not appear in court.

    He sought the name change for "artistic reasons" and says it has nothing to do with a recent rift in his family over the care of Michael Jackson's children and family matriarch Katherine Jackson.

    His attorney Bret D. Lewis says Jacksun is in Europe performing with his brothers and told him that he was sure it was "a sunny day in California."

    Lewis says he doesn't know whether Jacksun will elaborate on the creative reasons for the change.

    News for You

    • The new consoles from Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony

      NEW YORK (AP) — Microsoft is the last of the three big video game console makers to unveil its latest gaming system. The unveiling comes nearly eight years after the Xbox 360 went on sale. It follows last fall's debut of Nintendo's Wii U and a preview in February of the upcoming PlayStation 4 from Sony.

    • Singer Kellie Pickler named new 'Dancing' champ

      LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kellie Pickler came into the final "Dancing With the Stars" episode in second place but finished in first.

    • Woman on Trump: 'Somebody had to stand up to him'

      CHICAGO (AP) — An 87-year-old woman who alleges Donald Trump cheated her in a skyscraper-condo sale told jurors Monday she had qualms about suing the real estate mogul and TV celebrity. But, she quickly added, "Somebody had to stand up to him."

    • Disney-owned ESPN cutting hundreds of jobs: source

      By Liana B. Baker (Reuters) - ESPN, the sports channel that is Walt Disney Co's most profitable unit, is cutting 300 to 400 jobs across the company and closing a small Denver office, a person with knowledge of the cuts said. The job cuts, comprising 4 to 6 percent of ESPN's staff of 7,000, include open positions that will not be filled, said the source, who asked not to be named because the information is not public. But ESPN will continue hiring for other open positions, the person said. The channel has recently won rights to exclusive coverage of the U.S. ...

    • Man pleads guilty in Picasso vandalism case

      HOUSTON (AP) — A man accused of vandalizing a 1929 Pablo Picasso painting in a Houston museum — an act that was caught on cellphone video — agreed Tuesday to a two-year prison term as part of a plea deal with prosecutors.

    • NY Cuomo letter warns Kardashian over T-shirt logo

      ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo's sent a letter to Khloe Kardashian informing the reality star the logo on her T-shirt line may be violating copyright law.

    Show More