Sad news today as over the weekend former three time boxing champ Vernon Forrest was robbed and murdered. Authorities say that he was killed after chasing his assailant around a corner. There are no suspects at this time. The lesson we can learn from this sad story is that if you are robbed, don’t risk chasing the person who robbed you because you never know if he or she is armed and dangerous. Material things are never worth losing your life. R.I.P.

168 killed in Iran jet crash

168 people were killed in a horrible crash in Iran. Since the U.S. boycott against Iran, they’ve been forced to use their own planes which have a track record of being unsafe.

Racially motivated attack

This is an extremely disturbing story where three white kids attack a lone black man for apparently no reason. This needs to stop!

Couple with 16 children murdered

An extremely sad story today as a Florida couple known for their tremendous love of children were murdered Byrd and Melanie Billings were parents to 12 adopted children, most of which were disabled. They were shot several times in the bedroom of their home. It is absolutely shocking that someone would have this much hate in their heart to kill these people who were the epitome of what love and caring is about. This proves once again that there is no limit to what people are capable of. Three suspects are in custody and will likely receive life in jail or the death penalty.

Arturo Gatti found dead in Brazil

Sad news today as boxer former World Champion boxer Arturo Gatti was found dead in his hotel room on his second honeymoon in Brazil. Gatti was accompanied by his wife and son. Foul play is suspected as his wife cannot explain why it took so long for her to report the death of Arturo. They were a couple known to be very jealous of each other and it appears that Gatti was strangled with a purse strap. Currently his wife is the number 1 suspect.  R.I.P. Gatti.

Grave robbers 2009

A very disturbing story today as grave robbers were discovered in a plot to resell the graves in a historic black cemetery. Most notably Emmett Till was buried in this cemetery among several other black pioneers. The things that people will do for money are truly sad sometimes. Hundreds of graves had been dug up and bodies dumped elsewhere before the operation was uncovered. Despicable human beings they are who will surely serve many long years in jail .

140 killed in China riots

Bad news for China as riots between a Muslim separatist group and the Han Chinese. Police tried to combat the riots but were not very effective leaving 140 dead and over 800 injured. China has not seen violence on this scale in a very long time.

Former NFL QB Steve McNair found murdered

Horrible news on this 4th of July weekend as veteran NFL quarterback Steve McNair was found beaten with multiple gun shot wounds including one to the head. The suspected killer was a female acquaintance of McNair’s whose body was found a few feet away with a one gunshot wound to the head. Police suspect this was a murder-suicide but are still investigating the complete details. R.I.P.

Yemen Plane Crash

Very sad story today as a jet liner crashes in the Indian Ocean due to turbulent weather conditions.  150 people were on board. The one UP in this story was the fact that a little toddler made it out of the wreckage alive. Currently he is the only known survivor. Flying might be safer than driving, but its horribly sad to see so many perish in one accident .

Grandfather Kills Grandson

A crazy grandfather shoots and kills his grandson for dropping a watermelon. Absolutely crazy folks. I’m speechless.

DOWN OF THE WEEK

Sadly, ladies and gentlemen I bring to you the Down of the Week, and it’s only Thursday. But I’m pretty sure nothing will top this…Michael Jackson, the King of Pop suffered a heart attack earlier today and his friends and colleagues were unable to revive him. He was only 50 years old. While Mike wasn’t in the best of health, no one expected him to go this soon. I know there are a lot of Mike haters out there and I understand this to an extent, but there are far more beloved fans who will grieve over the loss of an icon. I am thankful to have been around to experience all of the amazing music he produced in his lifetime and I’m sure there’s some unreleased music on the way. Micheal Jackson wasn’t perfect, but he will surely be missed. R.I.P. MJ.

Religion or Hate?

This shocking video is the Low of the Day. We witness an "exorcism" of sorts where this young man is yelled upon and manhandled for 20 minutes to the point of vomiting. All in the name of removing his "homosexuality demon." This is a disgrace. And when the women who owns the church was confronted about the video, she wanted no part of a discussion. Folks, please don’t hide behind religion to express your hate for others. This clips gets today’s Worst Down honors with ease.

Manifested Glory Ministries Gay Exorcism Video Clip

Imagine winning the lottery. I'd bet the average person thinks about this happening at least a few hundred times in our lifetime. Now imagine losing that lottery ticket before your able to spend it. If you can. Talk about the highest high and lowest low all in the same day. This is what happened the Florida man in the video below. Poor guy .

Phelps loses 200M World Record

Today Michael Phelps loss the 200M WR to Germany's Paul Biedermann. This is his first major loss in 4 years. There is controversy however, as the German was said to be wearing a state of the art swimsuit that gave him a notable edge which even he admitted. These "special" suits are slated to be banned beginning 2010. Phelps was very disappointed and said that he wasn't in the best shape he could be. Phelps is ready for a rematch when "Swimming is back to swimming." Can't win em all I guess .

<a href="http://msn.foxsports.com/video?vid=835f990b-3ed8-47f2-9822-6240b99a21ad&from=IV2_en-us_foxsports_articles" _fcksavedurl="http://msn.foxsports.com/video?vid=835f990b-3ed8-47f2-9822-6240b99a21ad&from=IV2_en-us_foxsports_articles" target="_new" title="Phelps loses 200m and WR">Video: Phelps loses 200m and WR</a>

Dog snatched from gator's jaws!

Wow, another example that danger lurks everywhere.  Out for an early stroll with his dog, Mandy, this dog owner encountered something out of our worst nightmares – one of the most dreaded creatures that exist – alligators. The man runs to the aid of his dog who has been caught in the jaws of the deadly alligator.  Incredible.  I'm very happy that he was able to rescue little Mandy.  This guy is a very brave man

Wringley Brothers Circus abuses elephants

This is definitely bad news for Wringley Brothers. The video below shows trainers beating the elephants with whips and batons before taking the stage. The elephants don't appear to be doing anything to warrant such abuse. PETA is making it clear to the public that they should no longer support Wringley Brothers Circus; I second that.

Man wrongfully jailed is released

Bittersweet story here. Frank Hadley was wrongfully jailed for over a year for not paying child support for a child that was no't his own. The sad thing here is, two DNA tests were conducted during his imprisonment, both confirming he was NOT the father, and it still wasn't enough to get him released until now. Stories like this really show how horrible life can be for some people in the wrong place at the wrong time. Frank surprisingly shows little anger upon being released. If I were he, there would be hell to pay for someone. I don't know who to blame, the woman who wrongfully accused him of being the father, or the justice system — both should have to pay some cost for Mr. Hadley's suffering, although it couldn't possibly offset spending an entire year in jail! A complete travesty!!

Horses slaughtered for meat

Very disturbing news from Dade County, Miami. Horses are being slaughtered for their meat. The horse meat is being sold on the black market for a steep price. There seems to be no limit on what people will do for money. No one has been brought to justice for these acts yet to date as the criminals often flee the scene leaving behind no physical evidence. Dade County horse owners are growing very concerned as more and more horses are coming up dead or missing. Very sad.

Imagine spending $2 and receiving over 100 million times that. A retired man in South Carolina did that today, winning $260 million from a Powerball lottery ticket. Never before has anyone won that much in S.C., a state with the fifth highest unemployment rate. Talk about lucky. This has to be his highest high. After winning, he asked the teller to pinch him to make sure he’s alive. Wow.

Phelps wins 5 golds at Worlds

Phelps won an astonishing 5 gold medals at the World Championships this past week. Phelps broke two individual world records, the 100M and 200M butterfly, and two team records in the medley and freestyle relays. See how it all unfolded in the video below .

<a href="http://msn.foxsports.com/video?vid=615a04f8-a8c7-4cc3-869e-674bb6f35d1a&from=IV2_en-us_foxsports_articles" _fcksavedurl="http://msn.foxsports.com/video?vid=615a04f8-a8c7-4cc3-869e-674bb6f35d1a&from=IV2_en-us_foxsports_articles" target="_new" title="Phelps gets 5th gold in relay">Video: Phelps gets 5th gold in relay</a>

Federer defeats Roddick to make history

A bittersweet story for the USA today as Roger Federer pulls out the victory in an epic match against Andy Roddick. Roddick was playing the best tennis of his life but it just wasn’t enough to take down the winningest tennis player of all time. The fifth and final set ended 16-14 in the longest Wimbledon ever. This makes Federer’s 6th Wimbledon championship and 15th grand slam title. Federer finally surpasses Pete Sampras with the most grand slam titles. Valient try Andy.

California man with 3 jobs hits the jackpot

Calif. man with 3 jobs wins $39 million lottery 49-year-old plans to take wife to Hawaii — and hire financial adviser updated 10:38 a.m. ET, Sat., June 27, 2009 SANTA CRUZ, Calif. – A man who works three jobs to support his family — including one as a limousine driver — has won a $39 million jackpot in California’s SuperLotto Plus. Clyde Persley, who is married and has a 4-year-old daughter, turned in his winning ticket on Tuesday night and should get his first check for about $16 million in four to six weeks, said a California lottery spokeswoman. The 49-year-old Santa Cruz man operates candy-making machines for Santa Cruz Nutritionals, drives a limousine and picks up extra hours at a restaurant.

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Incredible!! He’s getting a check for 16 Million Dollars??!! What would you do with that?!! That’s a life changer right there.

With $16 Million, you could…

• Spend $1600 a day for 10,000 days in a row!!!!
• Spend $16,000 a day for 1000 days in a row!!!
• Spend $160,000 a day for 100 days in a row!!
• Spend 1,600,000 for 10 days in a row!

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Shaq Gets Traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers! Lebron & Shaq vs. Kobe & The Lakers in 2009??

Today’s Greatest Up is the amazing trade that took place early this morning. Shaq Diesel is now a Cleveland Cavalier. This is great news for Cavs fans as they now have another good shot of going all the way next season. The the Cleveland’s sake, I hope they can pull it off, otherwise Number 23 might suiting up elsewhere when he becomes a free agent in 2010.