• 94% of 3- and 4-year-olds have been spanked at least once during the past year, according to one study.

• 74% of mothers believe spanking is acceptable for kids ages 1 to 3, says another study.

• 61% of parents condone spanking as a "regular form of punishment" for young children, according to a different study.



What do you think. Is it okay to spank your child?

REPORT: TROUBLE IN JACKSONS' WORLD

Don't expect to see all members of the Jackson 5 reunite for the BMI Urban Awards next month. That's according to the "New York Post," which reports Michael Jackson hasn't been on speaking terms with his four brothers since 2005. A source told the paper that Michael even owes Jermaine, Tito, Marlon and Jackie nearly 850-thousand dollars in back royalties. The Jackson 5 is being honored at the 8th annual BMI Urban Awards. They're slated to receive the Icon Award, which honors composer-performers who have made, quote, "a unique and indelible influence on generations of music makers." Previous recipients include James Brown, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Isaac Hayes, and Carlos Santana. The 8th annual BMI Urban Awards dinner will take place at the Wilshire Theater in Beverly Hills, California on September 4th

EVE TO APPEAR IN BARRYMORE'S DIRECTORIAL DEBUT

Eve's next appearance on the big screen will be a historical one. SOHH.com reports the female rapper has been tapped for the film "Whip It!," which is the directorial debut for actress Drew Barrymore. Eve will co-star alongside Barrymore, Ellen Page and Marcia Gay Harden. The film is about a misfit girl in a small Texas town who fights off her boredom through roller derby. Production is underway on "Whip It!," but no release date has been set. Eve's previous credits include the "Barbershop" films, "The Woodsman" and "The Cookout." She also had her own self-titled series on UPN from 2003 to 2006.

REPORT: WILL.I.AM UPSET OVER FERGIE'S ACTING

Apparently the Black Eyed Peas' musical question "Where is the Love?" should be directed at themselves. According to the "New York Post," a rift has occurred between the band's two biggest members. Sources say Will.I.Am is "furious" with Fergie because she refuses to commit to a tour to promote their next album. Fergie is currently shooting a film called "Nine," which also stars Oscar winners Nicole Kidman, Daniel Day-Lewis and Kate Hudson. The film is due out in December 2009. Reps for the Black Eyed Peas have yet to comment on the story.

LAURENCE FISHBURNE JOINING CAST OF CBS’ “CSI”

Award winning actor Laurence Fishburne is headed to the small screen. CBS has announced that Fishburne will join its hit drama "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" this fall. Fishburne will play a former pathologist who is now working as an itinerant college lecturer, teaching a course in criminalistics. He then comes in contact with the CSI team and joins their crime lab. Fishburne will make his debut in the upcoming season's ninth episode. His character will arrive on the show around the time that actor William Petersen, who plays Gil Grisson, departs. Petersen has said that it's time for him to do other things, but he plans to stay on as a "CSI" executive producer and will "come back" in the role of Grissom, quote, "whenever CBS asks."

Applegate calls double mastectomy a 'tough' choice

Christina Applegate is taking the long view of her battle with breast cancer — the really long view. Speaking on ABC News' "Good Morning America" in her first interview since announcing her diagnosis earlier this month, the "Samantha Who?" star said she had a double mastectomy three weeks ago. She'll undergo reconstructive surgery over the next eight months. "I'm going to have cute boobs 'til I'm 90, so there's that," she joked in the interview, which aired Tuesday. "I'll have the best boobs in the nursing home. I'll be the envy of all the ladies around the bridge table." The 36-year-old actress elected to remove both breasts even though the disease was contained in one breast. She said she is now cancer-free. Applegate called the operation a logical decision. Her mother battled breast cancer, and she tested positive for the BRCA1 gene mutation linked to breast and ovarian cancer. "I just wanted to kind of be rid of it," she said. "So this was the choice I made and it was a tough one."

RAPPER DMX TO REMAIN IN FLORIDA JAIL

Florida officials are keeping DMX caged for now. According to TMZ.com, the rapper was instructed to stay behind bars in the Sunshine State because of an order issued in Arizona. DMX, whose real name is Earl Simmons, appeared before a Miami judge Friday following his arrest Thursday on a warrant stemming from a missed court date in Phoenix earlier last week. The rapper's lawyer tried to get him released on bail. However, the Miami judge noted that Arizona officials had placed a "no bond" status on the warrant. That means DMX could remain in jail until October 2nd, when he's due in a Miami court regarding a drug possession case there. DMX's lawyer vowed to TMZ that he'd get the rapper released before then. DMX's legal woes in the Phoenix area include an arrest in May on drug possession and animal cruelty charges, stemming from a raid at the rapper's home last August. He was also arrested in July on an identity theft charge. In June, DMX was arrested in Florida twice in one week on traffic and drug-related charges.

YUNG JOC SUED FOR BACK CHILD SUPPORT

The mother of Yung Joc's seven-year-old son says she wants the child support she's owed. Atlanta TV station WSB reports Fatimah Jester has filed a lawsuit against the rapper, seeking two-thousand dollars. Jester said Yung Joc, whose real name is Jasiel Robinson, didn't make his last payment. She also noted that he's been late with his previous payments, causing her to get behind on her bills.

P. MILLER TO LAUNCH NEW NETWORK

It looks like P. Miller is ready to take on the folks at BET. According to the "Hollywood Reporter," the hip-hop mogul formerly known as Master P has announced plans to launch his own network next year. Miller has dubbed the channel Better Black Television. He promises the network will provide, quote, "positive content for a black and brown culture." Among the shows BBTV plans to air are a Saturday morning educational show for kids, a financial management program, and a bi-lingual soap opera with African-American and Latino actors. Miller's new network has already attracted some big names. Oscar-winning actor Denzel Washington and hip-hop pioneer DJ Kool Herc are among the members of the BBTV advisory board. Production for BBTV's shows is already underway, and Miller is in talks to find local affiliates nationwide.

Little News that everybody knows

ELLEN DEGENERES MARRIES PORTIA DE ROSSI

Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi are making it official. According to "People" magazine, the Emmy winning talk show host and former "Arrested Development" actress tied the knot in an intimate ceremony at their estate in Beverly Hills, California Saturday.

MADONNA CELEBRATES THE BIG 5-0

Madonna was in a celebratory mood this weekend, toasting her 50th birthday Saturday with a private party at the Volstead nightclub in London's west end

Forbes Releases list of Hip Hops Biggest Cash Earners from last year

1. Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson

$150 million

2. Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter

$82 million

3. Sean "Diddy" Combs

$35 million

4. Kanye West

$30 million

5. Timothy "Timbaland" Mosley

$22 million

6. Pharrell Williams

$20 million

7. Kasseem "Swizz Beatz" Dean

$17 million

8. Calvin "Snoop Dogg" Broadus

$16 million

9. André "Dr. Dre" Young

$15 million

10. Christopher "Ludacris" Bridges

$14 million

Here is the top ten list of movies at the weekend box office:

1. "Tropic Thunder" (26-million-dollars)

2. "The Dark Knight" (16-point-eight-million-dollars)

3. "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" (15-point-five-million-dollars)

4. "Mirrors" (eleven-point-one-million-dollars)

5. "Pineapple Express" (ten-million-dollars)

To help  moms  eLearners.com a web brand of Education Dynamics, in collaboration with online colleges, American Sentinel University, Ashford University, Capella University, Everest University Online, and Penn Foster College will grant at least $2 million in full-ride scholarships to working mothers across the country. This is part of the "Project Working Mom - Putting Education to Work" education awareness program.  

To apply for a Project Working Mom 2 scholarship, join an online community or get advice and financial aid information on going back to school online, visit www.ProjectWorkingMom.com