This year, The Heart Truth's Red Dress show marked the start of this season's New York City Fashion Week. An event that often features many African-American stars, Chaka Khan, television presenter Aisha Tyler, and TV host LaLa Anthony walked the runway for 2012 along with big names like Minka Kelly. Black luminaries Vivica A. Fox, Phylicia Rashad, and B. Smith (a notable lifestyle maven) also lent their presence to the charity affair, now in its tenth year.

The Heart Truth's Red Dress Collection was created by "Million Hearts, a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services initiative to try to prevent one million heart attacks and strokes by 2017," according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute states that heart disease is the number one killer of women in the United States, and "[f]or African American women, the risk of heart disease is especially great."

To learn more about heart disease prevention for black women, please visit The Heart Truth® for African American Women web site.

The hip-hop impresario writes in a letter to Andrew Cuomo that milk should no longer be the state's official beverage.

Simmons, a vegan who has taken on several animal rights causes with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, says milk from cows is less healthy than milk from rice, almonds or soy.

He tells The Associated Press he knows dairy is big business in New York but says other industries could spring up in its place.

Simmons and Cuomo go way back. They're both from Queens, and they worked together a decade ago to help soften New York's strict drug laws.

Cuomo spokesman Matt Wing said the governor's office would not comment.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.

The former Death Row Records executive, 46, was stopped driving a black Bentley with California license plates about 5:30 p.m. Wednesday on a street just off Flamingo Road west of the Las Vegas Strip, Officer Laura Meltzer said.

Knight was issued an unsafe lane change summons and arrested on a warrant stemming from previous traffic infractions. He also was charged with possession of less than one ounce of a controlled substance and released from jail without bail.

Celebrity website TMZ first reported the arrest. It said Knight had marijuana with him in the car.

Knight is due March 12 in Las Vegas Municipal Court, where court spokeswoman Jill Christensen said he was sought on a March 2009 warrant for failure to appear on three traffic violations -- following too closely, failure to surrender a suspended license plate and being a non-resident driving on a suspended or revoked driver's license. The original charges stemmed from a traffic stop in November 2008.

No charge was immediately filed on the misdemeanor drug charge, which would be handled separately in Las Vegas Justice Court.

Attorney David Chesnoff, who has represented Knight in previous Las Vegas cases, was traveling Thursday and unavailable for immediate comment.

Chesnoff represented Knight when felony drug and battery charges were dropped in December 2008 following an incident in which Knight was accused of beating a woman while holding a knife in a parking lot near the Strip. Knight also was charged with felony possession of the drugs Ecstasy and hydrocodone.

Chesnoff said at the time that prosecutors had problems collecting evidence and witness accounts.

Knight, who grew up in the Los Angeles area, once played football for the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He went on to co-found Death Row Records, which helped make stars of rappers such as Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg and Tupac Shakur.

Knight was at the wheel of a car in which Shakur was shot and killed in 1996 in Las Vegas. The debt-ridden record label later went bankrupt and was sold.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.

Ann Pettway was indicted last year for kidnapping Carlina White, now 24, from her crib at Harlem Hospital in 1987. The girl was raised in Connecticut, and later Georgia, under the name Nejdra Nance.

Parents Come Forward With More Possible Victims of Teacher's Aide

In a letter announcing the plea, assistant U.S. attorney Andrea L. Surratt said a new charge would be filed against Pettway, but would not specify what it would be.

She also did not say what the suspect agreed to plead to, or what mandatory minimum sentence the new charge would carry.

Click here to read the rest of this story,

The singer performed a soul-stirring rendition of Otis Redding's "(Sittin' on) The Dock of the Bay," but began visibly wobbling during the judges' critique and eventually took a scary looking fall from the stage.

After her fall, medics and show staffers rushed to the stage and shouted "Medic, please!" Black's father who was also on hand for audition, appeared frantic as he ran to her aid.

Celebrity judge Steven Tyler can be heard saying, "I think she hit her head."

Fox did not give an update to Black's condition at the end of the show, but instead used the accident as a cliffhanger for tonight's program.

Earlier today, A Fox spokesman released a statement to Entertainment Weekly saying that Black is fine, though she required treatment for dehydration, "The talented teen was treated by on-site medics and continued her auditions during Hollywood Week."

GO TO 3:45 MARK TO SEE SYMONE BLACK'S PERFORMANCE

"It's a sign of the end times," said Reverend Kyev Tatum of Harmony Missionary Baptist Church in Texas. "People will turn from the truth and the Bible says this is going to happen."

What's happening is the African Americans for Humanism group is directly targeting African-Americans who may be questioning their religious beliefs with a series of billboards posted in predominantly black areas across the country. The Stiefel Freethought Foundation provided substantial financial support for the campaign.

theGrio: Black atheism represented through social media

Some believe it's a direct attack on African-American Christians, a claim the AAH national director Debbie Goddard refutes.

"We're not trying to make people lose their religion," says Goddard, a self-described atheist, humanist and free-thinker who stopped believing in God in sixth grade.

"It was an eye opening experience to realize that the Bible is not real. They're just stories and God isn't real," she says.

However, when people are not only asking if 'black Christians are the new house negroes,' but are also taking a step further to assert that "black Christians are the house new negroes," perhaps African-American Christians are justified in taking things a bit personal.

theGrio: College atheist group offers porn for Bibles

Nonetheless the campaign takes a collective approach to encouraging skepticism of all forms of organized spirituality with the billboards that read, "Doubts about religion? You're one of many." They've been posted in Los Angeles; Chicago; Washington, D.C.; New York City; and Durham, North Carolina.

The one scheduled to appear this week in Fort Worth Texas' Oak Cliff community (which is primarily made up of African-Americans and Latinos) has already faced its share of resistance from residents, according to Goddard, and it has not even gone up yet.

"We have a very strong black ministry here, mainly Baptist, and they're not very fond of this billboard going up in their back yards," Alix Jules told theGrio. Jules chairs the local chapter of the Coalition of Reason Diversity Council.

The location where the sign will be posted in Forth Worth along Interstate 35 and Illinois Avenue is within a mile of about 12 predominantly African-American churches.

Apparently, that's part of the problem.

One of those nearby churches is the Forth Worth branch of the 30,000-member mega-church, The Potter's House, presided by the internationally renown Bishop T. D. Jakes, who has yet to make a public statement about the AAH campaign.

Last year, the Potter's House responded to the "Life is good without God" December 2010 ads that were posted on Fort Worth city buses by creating signs with Christian messages. Rev. Tatum also garnered momentum against those ads, leading a charge calling for a bus boycott. He argued that taxpayers were not consulted before the anti-religious signs were posted on the city buses.

But that was 2010, and today, Tatum is taking a more hands off approach and encouraging other pastors to simply ignore the pro-atheism billboard campaign.

"It comes from the devil, right out of the pits of hell," he says.

First lady Michelle Obama and Pentagon officials planned to announce the effort Thursday during a visit to Little Rock Air Force Base in Arkansas, where the military has been experimenting with the idea through a pilot program designed to improve the quality and variety of foods served on base.

It's not just about giving members of the armed services a more svelte profile.

"The Department of Defense considers obesity not only a national problem, but a national security issue," said Dr. Jonathan Woodson, assistant secretary of defense for health affairs. "About a quarter of entry-level candidates are too overweight to actually either enter the military or sustain themselves through the first enlistment."

The Pentagon spends an estimated $4.5 billion a year on food services, and $1.1 billion a year on medical care related to excess weight and obesity.

Under the Military Health System's new obesity and nutrition awareness campaign, more fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lower-fat entrées will be coming to the 1,100 service member dining halls in coming months. Healthier choices will be turning up in base schools, vending machines and snack bars, too.

Mrs. Obama, who has been leading a campaign against childhood obesity, said the military effort would send a message to the whole nation.

"When our service members make healthy eating a priority in their lives, the rest of us are more likely to make it a priority in our lives," she said in a written statement. "Simply put, this is America's entire military once again stepping forward to lead by example."

The first lady was visiting Little Rock as part of a three-day national tour marking the second anniversary of her "Let's Move" campaign.

Under the new program, each of the armed services will be asked to update menu standards for the first time in two decades and to ensure that healthier food choices are available.

"We are intent on focusing on preventable illnesses to help our people stay out of our clinics and hospitals by improving their physical condition," Woodson said in a statement.

He said surveys in the mid-1990s found that about 1 out of 50 members of the armed services had weight problems. By about 2005, the figure was 1 in 20 service members.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.

FBI agents arrested Taleek Brooks, 40, at his Brooklyn apartment on Monday night after an investigation uncovered the videos on a computer seized last month from the home, authorities said.

WATCH THE PARENTS REACTION HERE

A criminal complaint mentioned only two alleged victims -- both believed by the federal authorities to be current or former students at the Weeksville School in Brooklyn, where Brooks had worked since 1995. The FBI held out the possibility there could be more student victims and was encouraging parents to come forward if they have information. Agents were expected to be at the school on Wednesday to pursue leads.

"As chancellor, and as a father, I am horrified and disgusted at the charges we learned of today from the FBI," Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott said in a statement after the meeting with the staff and PTA president. "Our paramount concern is for the safety of our students, and we are cooperating fully with the federal authorities as they continue their investigation."

The city Department of Education first hired Brooks for a summer job in 1991, when he was fingerprinted and passed a background check. He was given a full-time job as a teacher's aide with the school system in 1993.

Brooks also had worked with children at an after-school program affiliated with Weeksville. Program director Christa McCarthy-Miller said Tuesday that the defendant had passed routine background checks, and that she wasn't aware of any previous complaints against him.

As a "group leader" for about 14 children, Brooks' job was to encourage them to make "positive life choices," McCarthy-Miller said.

"We're obviously very saddened by this," she said.

Though different in the nature of the accusations and the number of alleged victims, the case called to mind the unfolding scandal at a Los Angeles elementary school in which a teacher is suspected of blindfolding and molesting children in his classroom.

According to a criminal complaint filed Tuesday, an examination of a home computer and two external hard drives seized from Brooks uncovered a stash of self-produced child porn.

The videos included two taken in a school classroom, one of Brooks touching a child's genitals and another of him spanking a naked child, the complaint says. Investigators believe they were shot sometime between January 2008 and January 2011.

A letter sent to parents alerted to them to the accusations against Brooks, saying that "these incidents may have occurred on school grounds." It advised families to call an FBI tip line if they had information about the case.

A previous complaint had accused Brooks of sending pornographic photos and videos of children to an undercover agent he met online. The complaint says one of the images was of a man having sex with a boy who appeared to be about 10.

Following the exchange, FBI agents searched Brooks' home on Jan. 13. The complaint alleges that during the search, Brooks "admitted that he had been downloading and sharing child pornography for approximately seven years." He also "indicated that he had collected and saved over 1,000 digital files on his computer containing child pornography," the complaint adds.

If convicted of producing child porn, Brooks faces a minimum 15 years in prison.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press

WATCH 'NI**AS IN PARIS': CAUTION -- VIDEO CONTAINS GRAPHIC LANGUAGE:

The announcement was made Thursday on Springsteen's website. Springsteen says longtime collaborator Eddie Manion wil "share the saxophone role" with Jake Clemons.

Returning singers Cindy Mizelle (my-ZEHL') and Curtis King, trombonist Clark Gayton and trumpeter Curt Ramm also will be on the tour, along with newcomer Barry Danielian on trumpet.

"Wrecking Ball" is Springsteen's 17th album and the first since the death of E Street Band saxophonist Clarence Clemons last summer.

The tour starts March 18 in Atlanta.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.

Artists, celebrities, and designers may use their fame and fortune to support various foundations and causes but Canadian fashion house Obakki goes above and beyond.

The lights were bright as the elevators opened up to a stunning midtown loft and terrace on Tuesday evening which set the stage for a unique presentation. Models ran around backstage as the lineup was called before any guests were allowed in, but we got a sneak peak at the prime and prep for the Fall 2012 line of Obakki which had a special twist; an addition of South Sudanese models paying homage to the roots of this line's inspiration and noting the country's difficult history. Models prepared to dazzle down the runway with a natural sun-kissed look, all with their hair pulled back allowing everyone in attendance to pay close attention to the intricate details of each piece.

Field Inspiration F/W12 from Obakki on Vimeo.

The Obakki line, previously featured in Vogue, Elle, and InStyle magazines, is able to tell a story through their exquisite pieces and also brings together hope for a nation of people. This Fall 2012 line showcased a variety of styles with a wide range of colors that could transfer from day to nightwear. Treana Peake, creative director and founder of Obakki decided that she would fuse her philanthropic ways and talents as a designer to give back to the people of South Sudan and humanitarian efforts all over the world as she created her line. She followed this up with the launch of the Obakki foundation, a non-profit organization created to provide clean water and educational services for the people of South Sudan. Through the foundation, all proceeds go directly to helping finance water wells and better living environments for the people of South Sudan, a place where she says her heart still is.

The highlight of the show was that the designer casted several south Sudanese models to strut down the runway as well as being joined by Sudanese hosts on the floor including, Mari Malek a 2011 BET Black Girl's Rock Nominee, who like many of these South Sudanese models arrived in the states as a refugee. Peake's vision included hosting and embracing these tall, black, and beautiful Sudanese models that many other designers would never even think of. "It's so frustrating to be in a house where my roommate has ten castings, and I only have one," said model, Nyamuoch Girwath.

Peake is not Sudanese, she's not even black. But that doesn't matter to her, or the beautiful models she cast, who all seemed to adore the proud designer. Peake confirms that she believes in the power of what fashion can do so she decided that she would use the growth of her line and do something she is passionate about. Her goal is for "people who want to have really high end beautiful contemporary fashion, but care about where the money is going. Through the sale of this collection, we're able to continue to drill water wells in the very region that inspired it."

theGrio: How did you choose these specific models?
Treana Peake: Every South Sudanese girl that walked in the door, I passed, without even caring how they walked, I didn't care. I thought you know what, I'm drilling wells in their regions, a lot of them very close to their hometowns and I wanted them to be a part of it, they are the inspiration, and so I don't care if they fall down that runway, you're in it. They thank me for including them in it, but say this is you.

What are your thoughts on using African themes and backgrounds as a trend with white models as the forefront?
I took all of the South Sudanese girls out to dinner the night before and we talked a bit about that and it's frustrating for them because they have a lot of limitations in this industry. They have these hearts that carry a lot of the things that I look for in people and I think that makes them even more beautiful and they're stunning so I say I want one of you to open and one of you to close and three of you to be on the floor with me. So it does bother me, if you're going to reference a certain area, then use the girls that come from there. If I was referencing Norway, I'm not going to throw in some South Sudanese girls. If I could have had 25 South Sudanese girls, I would have cast them all.

Will you be using this theme and continue to feature South Sudanese models?
Oh yeah. I have the most amazing story for next season because a lot of these people fled during war and haven't been back. The Spring Collection will be inspired by a dying cattle camp culture. Within 10, 20 years that culture will no longer exist. I plan on going with a photojournalist and bringing some of the girls home to do the editorial shoot with a historical documentary angle. Taking the photo journalistic documentary world and fusing it with the fashion world.

What do models of color bring to the fashion industry?
They bring diversity, it's all about what I stand for, it shouldn't matter what the color of your skin is, bringing everybody together, regardless of your skin color is what it's all about. They have their beauty, their strength, and they are unique.

Finally, after asking What piece describes Treana, she pointed to two beautiful custom prints that remind her of Sudan and said, "My heart and soul and mind and everything is still in Sudan"

theGrio slideshow: The first lady is ready for some football!

The first lady's whirlwind itinerary will run the gamut from a community discussion at an Olive Garden restaurant in Texas, to a massive interactive event with some 10,000 students at the Wells Fargo Arena in Iowa.

At the Little Rock Air Force Base, where a special pilot program has been established to enhance food service quality, variety and availability, Mrs. Obama will receive a briefing on healthy eating efforts from leadership, and then visit the dining facility to discuss the changes with cooks and military personnel.

The first lady will also have dinner with a Florida family, and speak to a gathering of about 3,000 people in Longwood about ways faith and community organizations can support healthy lifestyles. She'll wrap the tour at the sports complex of Walt Disney World Resort, taking part in a fitness activity with hundreds of local children and their families.

"Thank goodness she's putting the message out there," said Marlene Schwartz, the deputy director of the Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity at Yale University. "We know that you can't pile on the chicken nuggets and fries in the school cafeteria or at home, and expect children to lose weight. We have to change the food environment in this country, and we need to change policies."

Since the 1970s, childhood obesity rates in America have tripled, and nearly one in three children is overweight or obese, according to the Let's Move website.

Among African-American and Hispanic youth, nearly 40 percent of children are overweight or obese.

Childhood obesity has even become a national security issue. According to Defense Department officials, more than a quarter of America's 17 to 24-year-olds are too heavy to serve in the U.S. military. Additionally, the department reports spending more than a billion dollars annually on medical care associated with excess weight and obesity among active duty troops.

"When we surveyed back in the mid '90s, we found that about two out of 100 had weight problems," said Dr. Jonathan Woodson, a surgeon who is Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs. "When we surveyed in about 2005, this had increased to about one in 20, so that's becoming more of a significant problem for us, and this is one of the reasons we need to address this issue."

While the mission of "Let's Move!" is to impact obesity rates within a generation, the White House is touting a series of early successes linked to the endeavor.

For instance, Wal-Mart has pledged to work with manufacturers to remove 10 percent of sugar and 25 percent of sodium in categories throughout the store.

Walgreens and other retailers have announced a commitment to build or expand 1,500 stores in communities with `food deserts'-- limited or no access to healthy food.

Recently, the first lady partnered with Goya Foods around `Mi Plato,' which will update traditional Latino recipes with healthier changes.

On the legislative front, President Obama signed the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act into law in 2010, to help children have healthier food in school.

The splashy anniversary celebration of "Let's Move!" coincides with 2012 presidential politics. Several of the states Mrs. Obama will visit, particularly Florida, are rich in electoral votes and have the potential to sway the outcome of a national election. And some polls suggest Michelle Obama is more popular than her husband.

"There is no way especially in the current climate, that nothing can be seen as totally un-politicized," said David Bositis, senior research associate at the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, a black think tank in Washington, D.C. "And because the first lady is viewed very well, the more she is out there, she is seen as an asset to the president's campaign."

Man Fakes His Own Kidnapping to get money from his family

View more videos at: http://nbcphiladelphia.com.

Judge John Hurley ordered that Joseph Bray, 47 and his wife Sonja, 39, also visit a marriage counselor.

Hurley handed down this ruling instead of setting bond or slapping Bray with a prison sentence after he deemed domestic violence charges leveled by Bray's wife to be "very, very minor."

According to Bray's arrest affidavit, Bray and his wife got embroiled in a spat after he failed to wish her a happy birthday. Bray's wife claims that her husband shoved her against a sofa and grabbed her neck.

Click here to read more.

Among the inmates are four convicted murderers who served as trusties at the Governor's Mansion while Barbour was in office.

The Supreme Court is not expected to rule Thursday.

Barbour pardoned 198 people in his final days in office. Most were already out of prison, some for years or decades.

State Attorney General Jim Hood is challenging the legality of some of the pardons, saying some people didn't publish notifications as Hood says is required in Mississippi's Constitution.

Five of those pardoned are being held in jail on a temporary restraining order while the legal wrangling plays out.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.