Xavier Henry says he’ll keep his commitment to KU

For much of the day Tuesday, it was unclear whether Kansas basketball recruits Xavier and C.J. Henry would end up in KU uniforms. But a late-night report said that Xavier would honor his commitment to the Jayhawks. “I’m goin to kansas and that’s final,” Xavier Henry wrote via text message to Cory Anderson of radio station KCSP (610 AM).

When the Henry brothers gave their pledge to the Jayhawks in late April, it seemed their arrival on campus would be a sure thing. But since that news conference in Oklahoma City, Xavier, one of the most highly-recruited players in the class of 2009, had been having second thoughts. Last week, Carl Henry, the boys’ father, told The Star that Xavier had interest a month ago in playing a season in Europe.

Autopsy Photos. No Foul Play In Michael Jackson Death, As Police Seek Doctor

Doctors have ruled foul play or external trauma out in the death of Michael Jackson, who died on Thursday (June 25) at the age of 50. A three-hour autopsy was completed yesterday (June 26) on the singer’s body, but the cause of death has been deferred while doctors await the results of further tests. The Los Angeles Coroner’s Office said toxicology tests could take 6-8 weeks. Police have put a security hold on Jackson’s case, which means there is now a limit on the amount and detail of the information that can be release. ‘Drug use’ Jackson’s body has been given to his family, but there are growing fears over the star’s alleged dependency on painkilling drugs.

Police in Los Angeles are keen to interview Jackson’s doctor, who was present when the singer suffered a suspected cardiac arrest at his home in Los Angeles on Thursday. This morning (June 27) there are reports that the doctor, Conrad Murray, is now in contact with police. His car was impounded from outside Jackson’s home in Holmby Hills – where is also thought to have been living – on Thursday. ‘Deady cocktail’ Meanwhile, today’s Sun newspaper claims Jackson was addicted to a “deadly cocktail” of prescription drugs.

Pains. Royal Pains: Pilot (series premiere)

The sequence with Evan in the motel room with two rich and beautiful girls looking for Hank is just brilliant. He’s the perfect antithesis of Hank, who’s very buttoned down. Hank is doing the right thing for the right reasons, which is why he didn’t want to take that German Consulate’s money or job offer for the summer. Considering he’s been rendered unhirable in the medical field and he’s beyond flat broke, he probably should have. Evan would have.

Hell, I would have and I’m not even a doctor. Do you think they have an opening in concierge tech repair. I love how becoming this concierge doctor is basically being forced on Hank. Suddenly everyone in the Hamptons has his number and the address of the Hampt-Inn he’s staying at, to the delight of his brother (remember those two girls). Hell, his new P.A. “Physician’s Assistant” comes equipped with a medical arsenal in her SUV.

Cemetery. “This is something we want to take care of,” Spell said.

Death was an opportunist on the docks when Tacoma was young and booming with the timber trade, the tea trade, the grain trade. A load would shift. A line would slip. A longshoreman would die. When, in 1886, dockworkers formed the Stevedores, Longshoremen and Riggers’ Union of Puget Sound, that was one of the first realities to which they attended.

They had staged a five-day strike and won a raise from 30 to 40 cents an hour. They would go on to bargain for safer working conditions, decent wages and worker rights. But first they bought grave sites for the brothers they knew would be killed on the job. This morning, members of the International Longshore & Warehouse Union, Local 23, will gather to honor the memory of the 24 men buried in those unmarked graves at Tacoma Cemetery.

Mark Ballas. Shawn Johnson Becomes New ‘Dancing’ Champ

LOS ANGELES — Shawn Johnson is adding a mirrorball trophy to her collection of Olympic medals. After all, the two glittering prizes seem to go very well together. The 17-year-old gymnast was named “Dancing With the Stars” champion Tuesday during the season finale of the hit ABC show, the third Olympian in eight seasons to win. Johnson and her professional partner, Mark Ballas, held the mirrorball trophy aloft as the rest of the contestants rushed out to greet them, hoisting the couple on their shoulders as sparkling confetti flew.

“This has been the best experience ever,” Johnson said after her victory. “I’ve grown so much.” Johnson was tied with fellow finalist Gilles Marini after Melissa Rycroft was dismissed earlier in Tuesday’s show. All three finalists performed one last dance, each earning a perfect score of 30 from the judges.

Dirty Prejean. Still, the web loves a : Exclusive: Self-proclaimed bible thumper Miss California, Carrie Prejean, should start pointing the finger at herself for her own indiscretions.

We are then treated to the news that Carrie Prejean has body issues and had her chest enlargement for by the Miss USA pageant. Now we’re treated to pictures of Carrie topless. Or, rather, we’re not.

The pictures are the kind of side-boob shot that appear on the cover of half the UK’s press every morning. Still, the web loves a : Exclusive: Self-proclaimed bible thumper Miss California, Carrie Prejean, should start pointing the finger at herself for her own indiscretions. TheDirty.com has received exclusive images of the debutante that would clearly strip her of her Miss California crown.

Edward James Olmos. U.N. hosts filming of “Law & Order: SVU” episode

Considering the “ripped-from-the-headlines” and complicated themes regarding conflict in Africa and the ICC, “Special Victims Unit” writers and actors relied on Enough Project co-founder John Prendergast as a consultant throughout the filming. The Enough Project is an advocacy group committed to preventing genocide, crimes against humanity and other atrocities in six historically tumultuous African nations. Prendergast explained that he perceived the episode as “one where reality dovetailed quite neatly with fiction, and hopefully more people will understand now what is happening in real life with President Bashir and Sudan, and then the accountability for war crimes because they saw it on ‘Law & Order.’ ” On March 4, the International Criminal Court indicted ’s president, Omar al-Bashir, with war crimes and crimes against humanity.

This was the first time such charges have been leveled against a sitting head of state. The “Special Victims Unit” filming was the first official project within Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s newly formed Creative Community Outreach Initiative. The intent of the program is to establish a relationship with international film and television industries to enhance the image of the United Nations and to “raise the profile of critical global issues,” according to a representative. Eric Falt, director of the U.N.’s outreach initiative, elaborated: “We’re starting a program where we’re going to say to filmmakers, people who produce television series, that we are essentially open for business. You want to come to the U.N.? Talk to us. We’ll make it happen.

Jersey Devil. “I expect us to play as a team and play hard,” said Thompson, who had eight blocks in the South Region-clinching win Saturday over Baldwin County.

| The Central-Phenix City Red Devils will tell you, almost to a man, that the key to their run to the Alabama High School Athletic Association Class 6A boys semifinal has been defense. It fuels their intensity and ignites their effort. “I’m real proud of our defense.

That’s the most important part of our team,” junior small forward Darren Daniel said. “On our team, we try to focus on our defense. Our offense comes from our defense.” Central plans to use its defense to win today’s Class 6A semifinal against Vestavia Hills.

Drinking. ANTHROPOLOGY: Earliest chocolate use found in what is now U.S. : North County Times

WASHINGTON —- Chocolate for your sweetheart this Valentine’s Day? Folks may be surprised to know how far back chocolate goes —- perhaps 1,000 years in what is now the United States. Evidence of chocolate was been found in Pueblo Bonito in Chaco Canyon, N.M., the earliest indication of the tasty substance north of Mexico, Patricia L. Crown of the University of New Mexico and W. Jeffrey Hurst of the Hershey Center for Health and Nutrition report in last week’s issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Drinking chocolate was associated with a variety of rituals in ancient Central America, including weddings, but Crown said she is not sure of its exact uses in her area. The discovery, dated to between A.D. 1000 and 1125, indicates trade was under way between the Chaco Canyon residents and cacao growers in Central America.

Coupons. Charter food drive aids pantries

Charter encouraged customers to visit a local Charter office and bring in food items to exchange for free movie coupons for Charter’s On Demand service. Customers received four movie coupons for six donated food items. All of the food collected is being donated to local food pantries in various Charter service areas.

Charter’s Fond du Lac office raised more than 650 items for the Salvation Army of Fond du Lac. “Even in difficult economic times, Charter and our customers continue to look out for their neighbors in need,” said Lisa Washa, vice president and general manager of operations for Charter in Wisconsin, in a press release.

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