E: Chris Brown‘s manager, Tina Davis [pictured, below right], who was rumored to be the woman whose text message played a role in the Feb. 8 altercation between Brown and Rihanna, has flat-out denied, via her attorney, ever having had a romantic relationship with the R&B star. “The relationship between Ms. Davis and Mr. Brown is that of manager and client,” declared attorney Marshall B. Grossman in a written statement issued Wednesday. “There has never been any other relationship. The rumors in circulation are false. There are no emails between Ms. Davis and Mr. Brown of the type which have been described in media reports. If the source of the false rumors is identified, legal action will be taken. Given the nature of the legal issues affecting Mr. Brown, Ms. Davis will not be making any further statements.” MORE
GRIZZLY BEAR: He Hit Me And It Felt Like A Kiss
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Obama Taps Father Of Drug Offender/Ex-Seattle Police Chief For Drug Czar
NEW YORK TIMES: R. Gil Kerlikowske, the chief of the Seattle Police Department, was chosen Wednesday to be the White House drug czar, signaling a shift in emphasis from arrest and prosecution to intervention and treatment. The selection of Mr. Kerlikowske, which had been expected, was announced by Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr., who said Mr. Kerlikowske understood that “combating drugs requires a comprehensive approach that includes enforcement, prevention and treatment.” If confirmed by the Senate, Mr. Kerlikowske, 59, would become the director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, as the drug czar is formally known. “The success of our efforts to reduce the flow of drugs is largely dependent on our ability to reduce demand for them,” Mr. Kerlikowske said in a ceremony at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building. “Our nation’s drug problem is one of human suffering,” he said. “And as a police officer, but also in my own family, I have experienced the effects that drugs can have on our youth, our families and our communities.” Mr. Kerlikowske’s stepson, Jeffrey Kerlikowske, 39, has had several drug-related brushes with the law. MORE