Brittany Kerr Flashes Engagement Ring from Jason Aldean: 'We've Been on Cloud Nine'

Jason Aldean, Brittany Kerr

COURTESY BRITTANYLKERR

BY TIM NUDD

 @nudd 

09/26/2014 AT 09:15 AM EDT

She's in heaven, y'all. 

After news broke Thursday of her engagement to country star Jason Aldean, Brittany Kerr posted a photo of them kissing to Instagram – and gushed about how happy she is. 

"We've been on cloud nine the past few days!!" the American Idol alum wrote. "My heart has never been more full of happiness and love. 

"Can't wait to spend the rest of my life with this man. So many blessings and memories are in our future and SO thankful I get to share them with him. Thanks for all the support and kind words y'all have given us." 

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Kerr also shows off her engagement ring in the photo, which positively glows in the camera flash. 

Aldean, 37, proposed to Kerr on Tuesday, his rep confirmed. They were first linked two years ago, when they were spotted kissing in a Los Angeles bar while he was still married. 

Aldean and wife Jessica, who have two daughters together, split last year. 

'Grey's Anatomy' actor Patrick Dempsey holds first challenge since mother's death

LEWISTON, Maine -- Thousands of runners took part Saturday in the sixth Dempsey Challenge, the first time the cancer support fundraiser in honor of Patrick Dempsey's mother has been held since her death.

"This year's Dempsey Challenge is difficult without our mother but she is with us in our hearts and minds," Dempsey and his sisters, Mary and Alicia, said in a statement. "We are reminded of her strength in all of the survivors, friends, patients and family who join us this weekend in celebrating hope."

For five years, their mother Amanda Dempsey led the survivor walk that opened the event. She was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 1997 and battled multiple recurrences in the years that followed. She died in March at 79.

Patrick Dempsey, who plays Dr. Derek Shepherd on TV's "Grey's Anatomy," launched the Dempsey Challenge because of his mother's battles.

The Sun-Journal reported that Dempsey told the crowd Saturday at the starting line: "This is one of the most important days of my life." The actor joked around and chatted with participants, and he signed autographs and posed for pictures with fans.

Money raised from the event goes to The Patrick Dempsey Center for Cancer Hope & Healing, which he and his sisters created in 2008 in partnership with the Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston. Last year's Dempsey Challenge raised $1.1 million for the center, which provides free support, education and integrative medicine services for anyone impacted by cancer.

Saturday's events included 5K and 10K runs. Sunday's events focused on cycling, with rides ranging from 10 miles to 100 miles, following by a closing ceremony with the actor.

Amber Rose filed for divorce from Wiz Khalifa the day after she 'found him with another woman at 2am'

They announced their divorce last week and it seems increasingly unlikely that the split between  Amber Rose and Wiz Khalifa will be an amicable one. 

The formerly loved-up couple, who have a one-year-old-son, have been taking pot shots at each other since news of their separation became public.

And now, it is being reported that the cropped-haired model filed divorce papers the day after she discovered the rapper with another woman at 2am, according to TMZ.

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At war: Wiz Khalifa and Amber Rose are divorcing after a year of marriage amid reports of cheating by both parties

Wiz Kalifa kisses Amber Rose's head at the BET Awards (archive)

The curvaceous 30-year-old allegedly made the shock discovery when she arrived unannounced at the home Wiz had recently moved in to following the breakdown of their marriage.

The showbiz website, citing sources close to the Black And Yellow star, said he made it perfectly clear to his wife that the marriage was dead two weeks prior - and refutes claims he was cheating.

Sources told the website that Wiz said: 'I just didn't want to be married to her anymore,' 

Apparently there was also tension between the pair because Wiz refused to allow his wife to accompany him on his Under The Influence tour. 

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Performing: Wiz, pictured in concert in August is reported to have stated that he just 'didn't want to be married' to Amber anymore 

Both sides have accused each other of cheating and both have denied messing around outside of their short lived marriage.

But just a month ago, Wiz, 27, spoke about fighting the temptations that come his way.

In an interview with S2S magazine he said of his wife: 'She’s fresh. I’m super fresh. It ain’t hard. 

'There is no temptation for me. You gotta keep the THOTs in their place. I smoke with ‘em, chill, but it doesn’t go past that. You know? They know what it is though.'

Wiz also talked about fatherhood and how son Sebastian, now 19-months-old, has changed him. “I love my son. I take care of my son, he said.

'It’s like spending time with him is definitely that reset button that I be needing during the day. It’s good to have him here for that.'

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 Tug of war: According to reports, Amber and Wiz have yet to agree on custody arrangements over their child Sebastian

In the divorce papers filed by both parties this week, Amber has requested full custody. Wiz countered that with a request for joint custody of the little boy. 

TMZ state that Amber could be in line for a $1 million settlement plus upwards of $5,000 a month as part of an eight page prenuptial agreement.

A source told E! that the pair have had marital issues for some time.

'They cared very much for each other but it all happened so fast between having the baby and getting married. 

'They really did not know each other as much as they should have before getting married.'

Amber Rose, Wiz Khalifa on 2014 MTV VMAs red carpet (archive)

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Blame game: Both sides have accused each other of cheating and both have denied messing around outside of their marriage.

Bill Simmons the latest casualty of Ray Rice affair as Roger Goodell clings to innocence

The ESPN sportswriter and commentator is like that medium’s Michael Bay, Chuck Lorre or Dan Brown: he hit on a formula that was appealing to a wide audience a long time ago, and he turned it into an empire that is both hugely popular and not without its critics.

Simmons pioneered voice-of-the-fan sportswriting, where everything relates back to gambling, the Rocky movies, or Beverly Hills 90210 — and every athlete and team must be assigned a historical rank. When the actor Philip Seymour Hoffman died, Simmons opened his podcast by trying to determine how many other actors were better than him, as though the best way to remember someone who had just passed away tragically was to figure out if he was a starter on the All-Actor Team.

So, no, Simmons is not one of journalism’s great seekers of truth. And yet, the news that he was disciplined by ESPN — a three-week suspension — for daring to call Roger Goodell a liar has suddenly rendered him a sympathetic character, just another speck of mud on the National Football League’s boot.

More than anything, though, the fact that ESPN has picked a fight with one of its biggest personalities, a notoriously sensitive one at that, suggests that the NFL brought serious pressure to bear, and that it has no intention of casting Goodell overboard, even as scandals related to his discipline of players continue to roil.

This is a remarkable point to have reached. It was only a week ago that Goodell appeared to have reached the end of his plank. There was the amazingly tone-deaf press conference in New York, where the commissioner admitted mistakes, but would only vow to develop policies over the next few months that would demonstrate that the NFL is, to use his words, serious about “punishing behaviour that is totally unacceptable.” A bold stance. It was here that Goodell refused to acknowledge that he, personally, deserved a lot of the blame for the Ray Rice scandal, since he had quite obviously failed to investigate the February incident that ended with Rice rendering his now-wife, Janay, unconscious, before handing the running back a feather-light two-game suspension.

Two weeks after TMZ had published the elevator tape that showed Rice punching Janay in the face, Goodell, finally addressing the matter, was still acting like it was a wacky series of unfortunate events that caused him to tread so lightly around the Rice case, as opposed to a conscious decision on his part. What did Rice tell him about what happened that February night? Can’t say, under appeal. Why was the NFL’s crack security team unable to get the video that TMZ got with a phone call, and a copy of which was with Rice’s lawyers all along? These are the things we are trying to determine, Goodell said. His answers to every pointed question were the verbal equivalent of a shrug.Not long after that press conference, ESPN published on its web site a long, deeply reported account of the Rice investigation, anonymously sourced but obviously coming from Team Rice, in which it was made clear that Rice felt he gave an honest account of what happened in the elevator — and that both the league and the Ravens seemed to have many opportunities to acquire the tape that would have ended any uncertainty about it.

It was this article that caused Simmons, on the Monday edition of his podcast The B.S. Report, to freak out a little. He called Goodell a liar, said it was f—ing bulls— to suggest otherwise, and basically dared his bosses to come after him for the “liar” comments. And, lo, challenge accepted.

Don Juan Moore/The Associated PressBill Simmons called Goodell a liar, said it was f---ing bulls--- to suggest otherwise, and basically dared his bosses to come after him for the “liar” comments. And, lo, challenge accepted.

While hardly anyone who has followed the Rice situation in recent weeks would dispute the substance of Simmons’ comments, it’s true that he lacked the evidence to phrase it quite so bluntly. Goodell is hanging his integrity on a very specific interpretation of what happened: Rice gave him an account of the incident that was “inconsistent” with what the TMZ tape eventually showed. Thus, he and the Ravens brought down the hammer within moments of one another.

But, even accepting Goodell at his word, that inconsistency he clings to amounts to Rice having told him (and the Ravens) that he hit Janay, possibly with an open hand, hard enough to knock her over, where she hit her head on a railing and lost consciousness. Again: this is the charitable version of what Goodell knew when he decided that two games was a suitable suspension for it. The sources in that ESPN article suggest he was told everything, including the nature of the closed-fist punch.

Either way, what the commissioner refuses to acknowledge is that, even if he was submarined by a player who wasn’t fully truthful with him, he’s just as guilty for having not done enough to assess what went on between Rice and his wife before he meted out a paltry suspension.

Roger Goodell could have admitted three weeks ago that his investigation of Ray Rice wasn’t up to the NFL’s usual strict standards, that domestic violence cases need special consideration that he wasn’t prepared for, and that he took responsibility for the mistakes and was pledging to fix them. Instead, he effectively blamed Rice for his own lack of diligence, conveniently casting the wife abuser as a liar, too. Gosh, the commissioner said, I can’t believe I was misled, and we’ll get it right next time. Goodell made Rice the sacrificial lamb, so it wouldn’t be him.

It seems insane that the NFL’s owners are fine with this. Yes, Goodell’s NFL makes them millions, but so would an NFL with anyone else in charge. Literally anyone. Condi Rice. A random fan. Doug Ford. (Probably not Doug Ford.)

But, a high-profile commentator at an NFL broadcast partner shoots his mouth off, and the response is to protect the commissioner’s honour? Seriously: what honour?

Bill Simmons isn’t the martyr we need, but he’s the martyr we have

How did John Rocker's first episode of 'Survivor' go?

Yes, John Rocker -- cockroach of sports -- is on "Survivor." There were a lot of places this could have conceivably gone. I've never watched a single minute of "Survivor" before, so I'm clearly the person to review his first appearance on the show.

My recap shall be divided into three sections: things John Rocker did or said, me not understanding how "Survivor" works and POTPOURRI. Let's get to this bad, long show.

JOHN ROCKER QUOTABLES AND NOTABLES:

- The show introduces us to a gay couple that "performs on Broadway" and twins from Sri Lanka, which is basically the show winking and nudging you and grinning while pointing at John Rocker, noted intolerance aficionado.

- John and his girlfriend, Julie, are introduced. This is literally John Rocker's opening video-package monologue, verbatim:

"I've spent the last 15 years of my life trying to say I'm not the loud, obnoxious, boisterous kinda guy, but the media has loved, over the years, to label racist, bigot, homophobic, everything else. Call somebody a bigot? Them are fighting words right there."

Yeah, John. You're not a loud, obnoxious guy. I can see you've been working real hard to shed that image.

Oh, you're not a bigot, John? YOUR WEBSITE SELLS WHITE T-SHIRTS THAT SAY "SPEAK ENGLISH."

- Julie thinks the other contestants will say, "Look at the girl with the hair and the boobs and the boyfriend. But I can stand on my own two feet." NOTE: none of the other contestants say any part of that.

- John Rocker rolls his eyes at his girlfriend being grossed out by bugs.

- After the couples/relatives have been split into two teams, the following exchange occurs between host Jeff Probst and Rocker:

PROBST: "John, what's it like for you? For a guy, you want to take care of your woman. That's what you're supposed to do, right?"
ROCKER: "Yeah, technically you're right. This is a civil war, though. Brother versus brother."

"Technically you're right?!" I have no idea if Probst was baiting Rocker, or if this is something that he/CBS actually, genuinely believes, but either way, good lord.

Also, John, pro tip: don't say "civil war" on national television if you're known for being racist.

- Older, Southern country boy Keith: "I watch all types of sports and I'm pretty sure this is John Rocker, relief pitcher for the Atlanta Braves. And he was an ass when he played then. He might still be an ass now." lol I like you, Keith.

- John Rocker used to look like Standard 90s Baseball Meathead. Like one of the jocks inRevenge of the Nerds. Now he looks like a floppy-haired Winklevoss.

- Rocker is the second-oldest person in his "tribe" and belches while making a lean-to.

- Julie, when talking about a person in her tribe who has taken charge: "I'm dating John Rocker, who used to play in the major leagues, and he is Type A with a capital A. So I understand the dude mentality." I prefer The Dude mentality.

- While Rocker wanders around in his underwear, coughing, two of the younger men in his tribe discuss him. One of them says, "I think he's like, famous or something? I think I've seen him play like some type of sport or something."

- Wes, Keith's son: "Man, I know that guy from somewhere. And I realized: he played professional baseball for the Atlanta Braves. That's my favorite team. Everyone was watching Atlanta back then, that's when they were in their prime." This is the first time shade is freely thrown at the present-day Atlanta Braves.

- Now we have our first JOHN ROCKER PLOT POINT: he wants to remain incognito!

Wes asks what John's last name is and he says -- to his immense credit -- "Wetteland." Of course, he then proceeds to misspell "Wetteland," so POINTS REDACTED.

WES: "You sure?"
ROCKER: /raises hand in oath

Rocker explains his desire to remain anonymous:

"I was hoping to skate through this game anonymous. You know, unscathed, stay under the radar. If I'm recognized by some of the other players in this game, I'll lie about it, because I haven't had a whole lot of anonymity for the last 18 years of my life."

Wes won't let up, though. He keeps grilling him.

WES: "[Rocker] was the man." 
ROCKER: "Back when the Braves were good." [shaaaaaaade] "Yeah, you got me. Keep it under your hat, though, please."

- John's team has to go to the "tribal council" or "soundstage" or whatever at the end of the episode, because he helped his team not-win. When asked about how quickly the three days have flown by, Rocker says, "It does seem to go quick. That is the name of the game." It's actually not, John.

- When one of the twins is talking about one of the Broadway performers and sassily saying the word "girlfriend," Rocker is directly behind her, making this face:

- Rocker is not voted off the island or wherever the hell they are.

- Clips of the upcoming season are shown at the end of the episode, as is the custom with television season premieres. There is a clip of Julie saying, "I'm feeling really deceived by John right now."

- The very last clip of the preview reel -- the very last thing shown on this premiere episode of "Survivor" -- is John Rocker looking directly at the camera and yelling, "IF YOU WERE A MAN, I WOULD KNOCK YOUR TEETH OUT." So ... there's that to look forward to.

SURVIVOR DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE:

- This is the 30th season of "Survivor." "Survivor" started in 2000. Okay, guys.

- The opening is just Jeff Probst in a helicopter. Just in helicopter narrating things. And then STANDING ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE HELICOPTER AS IT BANKS VERY HARD OVER THE OCEAN. WHAT IS THIS SHOW.

- There's a thing called EXILE ISLAND. You go there if you lose a "reward challenge." If you're sent there, you'll be back in time for the "immunity challenge." The winner of this "reward challenge" wins FLINT AND BEANS. A lady meets a guy in the woods and says, "If we can be a strong two, hopefully our peers are solid." There's also a "community challenge." This show is in Esperanto.

MISCELLANY:

- Other sports! There is a couple named Jaclyn and Jon. She's a former Miss Michigan. He used to play for Michigan State. He's also incredibly excitable, to the point where he's essentially 100% the Frank Gorshin version of The Riddler. Also, there is a young woman named BAYLOR.

- The Sri Lankan twins have also been on "Amazing Race." So it's somehow just fine to be on as many competition reality shows as you want? "Amazing Race" is the Poochie of this episode. ISN'T IT ENOUGH THAT I'M WATCHING ONE OF YOUR DUMB SHOWS, CBS?

More from SBNation.com

• Since the Royals last made the playoffs in 1985 ...
• Breaking down the American League wild card race
• Watch Derek Jeter's final Yankee Stadium at-bat set to 'My Way'
• The 50 best Twitter jokes about Derek Jeter's final night
• Diamondbacks fire manager Kirk Gibson and coach Alan Trammell
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Sonni Pacheco: 5 Things To Know About Jeremy Renner’s Wife

‘Avengers’ star Jeremy Renner secretly tied the knot with Sonni Pacheco and everyone wants to know all about the actor’s new wife! Here’s 5 things you need to know.

Sonni Pacheco, 23, is the girl everyone is talking about. Jeremy Renner, 43, recently revealed that he married Sonni in an interview with Capitol File.HollywoodLife.com has compiled a list of 5 things you must know about Sonni!

Sonni Pacheco: 5 Things To Know About Jeremy Renner’s Wife

1. She’s the mother of Jeremy’s daughter, Ava Berlin Renner.

Sonni gave birth to her and Jeremy’s first daughter on March 28, 2013. They named their sweet little one Ava Berlin. Too cute!

2. Sonni and Jeremy met on set. 

Sonni and Jeremy were first introduced on the set of Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, according to Global News. Jeremy was co-starring alongside Tom Cruise, 52, while Sonni was a stand-in.  

3. She’s a Canadian model and actress. 

Sonni has been working as a lingerie model, Huffington Post reports. She was also a spokeswoman for Monster Energy Drinks. Sonni starred in the 2009 direct-to-DVD movie American Pie Presents: The Book Of Love.

Do you think Sonni and Jeremy will last?

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4. Sonni’s 20 years younger than Jeremy.

Jeremy is 43-years-old, while Sonni’s only 23. That’s a 20 year age difference! When it’s love, it’s love.

5. Sonni and Jeremy broke up shortly before the birth of their child.

Before Sonni and Jeremy welcomed their little bundle of joy, the couple split, according to Daily Mail. After their daughter was born, Sonni moved in with Jeremy. However, they must of rekindled their flame because they wed just a year later!

HollywoodLifers, are you excited for Sonni and Jeremy? Do you think they will last? Let us know!

– Avery Thompson

It’s Early, But ‘Murder’ and ‘Blackish’ Are Delivering for ABC

For ABC, a unit of Walt Disney Co.DIS +0.76%, the show’s strong start indicates that the strategy to make Thursday Shonda Rhimes night may pay off. Besides “Scandal” and “How to Get Away With Murder,” Thursday is also home to Rhimes’ first hit, “Grey’s Anatomy.” Overall, ABC averaged 12 million viewers, second only toCBS CBS +1.34%’s “Thursday Night Football.”

Thursday wasn’t the only good news day for ABC. Its new sitcom “Blackish” about a black suburban family whose patriarch fears his kids are losing touch with their roots, premiered with more than 11 million viewers on Wednesday at 9:30 p.m. As important, it retained most of the audience from its lead-in, the hit comedy “Modern Family.”

ABC’s other potential bright spot is the medical drama “Forever,” which premiered on Monday at 10 p.m. and averaged 8.6 million viewers and almost seven million viewers on Tuesday at 10 p.m., which will be its regular home. On Tuesday it added almost one million viewers from its lead-in, the sophomore Marvel show “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Given that more viewers are recording shows and watching them later or catching them on video-on-demand, the early numbers do not carry quite the same weight as in previous years. However, they still provide a look at what shows have potential and which ones are potential turkeys.

ABC is betting on its new crop of shows to help the network rebound after the disappointments of last season, when it finished down in both total viewers and the key demographic of 18 to 49-year-olds. ABC only brought back three of the 13 new shows it launched last year.

CBS Corp. is off to a solid start this season. On Monday,  its hit comedy “The Big Bang Theory” averaged over 18 million viewers and the new dramas “Scorpion” had almost 14 million viewers. Sunday’s drama “Madame Secretary” averaged about 15 million viewers.

But CBS’s biggest bet for the fall – Thursday Night Football – has yet to yield the huge numbers that the network was likely expecting as all three of the games it has aired have been clunkers. Still, the games have boosted CBS’s ratings on Thursday and are averaging 16.1 million viewers.

Comcast CMCSA +0.56%’s NBC, which came into the fall with the most momentum, has only premiered one new show – “The Mysteries of Laura” – a police drama starring Debra Messing. It has averaged over ten million viewers, but its median age is 60, which won’t excite advertisers. NBC’s returning hit drama, “The Blacklist,” is still strong, averaging 12.3 million viewers.

At Fox the reality show “Utopia” has tanked and its new drama “Red Band Society” about sick kids, is close to needing life support. The network’s big bet for the fall, the Batman prequel “Gotham,” ad a very solid start, but everything else has been a disappointment so far.

Joan Lunden's Cancer Treatment: Why She Chose Chemotherapy Before Surgery

When Joan Lunden was diagnosed with stage 2 triple negative breast cancer on June 9, the formerGood Morning America host had to quickly choose a treatment plan. But after getting drastically different opinions, Lunden was left feeling overwhelmed. 

"It comes really fast and furious," says the mom of seven (andgrandma of one!), who appears on the latest cover of PEOPLE. "You go from one institution to another, and they all have a different idea of how you should treat it." 

While Lunden consulted several top docs, after meeting with New York University's Dr. Ruth Oratz, her decision became clear. 

The pathway that she embarked on called for chemotherapy first, not the typical mastectomy or lumpectomy, with the goal of shrinking her two tumors so surgery could be minimal. Because her tumors were located near the back of her breast, had Lunden opted for surgery first, she would have been left with two very different-looking breasts and would have required extensive reconstructive surgery. 
"My doctor said, 'We can do a really big breast cancer surgery right now, or we can flood you, bomb you, with cancer-killing chemo, and then do a very tiny surgery,' " she says. 

Despite some recent high profile stories of celebrities opting for mastectomies first and foremost, often avoiding chemotherapy, Dr. Vered Stearns, co-director of the Breast Cancer Program at Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center, says, "Giving chemotherapy first may help to shrink the size of a tumor, making surgery easier and allowing for breast conservation." 

Lunden has been sharing her cancer journey on her blog, JoanLunden.com, anddocumented her lumpectomy on Tuesday. "Still groggy, but happy to hear that my lumpectomy went well," she shared after her surgery. 

For much more on her battle with cancer, pick up the latest issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands Friday

Harry Styles Celebrates Rosh Hashanah 2014 And Wishes His Fans Shana Tov

Harry Styles is celebrating a festival called Rosh Hashanah. The Jewish festival began on the evening of Sept 24, and according to Jewish calendar, it marks the start of the year. The festival customs say one has to eat apples dipped in honey to bring in good luck in the new year.

Styles is known to participate in Jewish rituals. Last year, during the the time of the festival, he was reportedly seen leaving a Manhattan kosher eatery and was also seen wearing a kipah, the blue-knitted traditional cap, with his name writtern on it. Though Styles is not Jewish, as revealed by his father Des Styles on Twitter, he loves Judasim.

Director of "One Direction" movie Ben Winston said in an interview that all the 1D boys are fascinated by the traditions. They enjoy the family atmosphere.

Apart from Styles, there are many celebs and personalities who are celebrating the festival. Tthey even took to Twitter to give their best wishes to the fans on the festival. Their individual tweets can be found below.

Harry and Zach were not the only celebs who tweeted their greetings for Rosh Hashanah. Other celebs who also tweeted on the festival include Orlando Jones, Sandra Bernhard, Gail Simmons, Kerry Washington and Joshua Malina.

Rosh Hashanah urges people to ask for forgiveness and reflect on their doings in the past year. People generally celebrate the festival by indulging in sumptuous food and spending time with their family.

The festival would come to an end on Friday. People generally go to a synagogue to listen to shofar, an instrument made out of a ram's horn. The instrument is blown like a trumpet to make people think about the year gone by and to start afresh.

Tradition says people should wear white clothes or at least a new pair of clothes. Interestingly, during the festival one reflects on misdeeds and wrongdoing. However, the business of repenting reaches the hilt on Yom Kippur, which takes place on the following weekend. On Yom Kippur, a 25-hour fast is kept. The traditional way to wish on "Rosh Hashanah" is to say "Shana Tova," which means "a good and sweet new year."

Food is considered a major part of the festival, too. Apples are a vital part of the celebration as jews consider it the most beautiful fruit, according to the website reports. "Apples are mesmerizing to all the senses," explained Naomi Ross, an instructor at the Brooklyn-based Center for Kosher Culinary Arts, to Huffington Post. Other food that are customary to eat include fish, carrots, leaks, bread, new fruits and pomegranate.

Amal Alamuddin Has Ladies Night While George Clooney Grabs Dinner With the Guys Ahead of Venice Wedding

The big wedding countdown continues.

As part of their big wedding festivities, Amal Alamuddin and George Clooney were spotted celebrating their respective bachelorette and bachelor parties in Italy tonight, E! News learns. The bride-to-be donned a gorgeous red gown as she arrived in a boat with about 10 of her nearest and dearest gal-pals, including her sister, Tala, mom, Baria and fellow London-based lawyer Philippa Webb.

The ladies were accompanied by a second boat that had Clooney and his guys also riding to the Aman Canal Grande. Once the two groups arrived to their destination, "George escorted Amal down there then left," an eyewitness tells us.

It doesn't look like their last flings before the rings are going to be too crazy. A source tells us the actor and his fellas continued to Da Ivo restaurant for dinner, while his lady and her female friends enjoyed dinner elsewhere.

After tonight, the pair will prepare for the big day! A source says the bride will get her makeup and hair done in the morning at the Aman, where Clooney and guests will join her. Alamuddin and Clooney will have a symbolic wedding ceremony that night, which will likely be performed by former Rome Mayor Walter Veltroni.

Festivities will continue on Sunday, when the newlyweds will have lunch with their guests, a source tells E! News, followed by another party. On Monday, Clooney and Alamuddin will wrap up their wedding weekend fun with a civil ceremony, at which point they will officially and legally be man and wife.

Megachurch leader threatens to sue Kendrick Lamar and Young Jeezy

A prominent televangelist and megachurch leader, TD Jakes, has threatened legal action against two rap artists for sampling a 2013 sermon in a remix.

Jakes posted a notice this week on the Facebook page for his Dallas-based ministry warning that Kendrick Lamar and Jeezy sampled his sermon Don’t Let the Chatter Stop You without his authorization. “We are taking the necessary legal actions to stop the unauthorized use of TD Jakes’ intellectual property,” the post said.

Michael Eric Dyson, a professor at Georgetown University and noted hip-hop intellectual, told the Guardian that the situation is ironic because the song is about the struggle the two rappers have faced growing up in the US.

Dyson said: “What is more obscene? The language that is profane or the obscene conditions of social and income inequality that these young men confront?”

He said that by taking legal action, Jakes is also limiting the amount of people who may hear the mission and values of his ministry. “It’s an unfortunate example of the disconnect between an elder, like TD Jakes, who is an undeniably gifted and remarkable human being, but may be not necessarily as in touch as he should be with the currency of a younger generation,” said Dyson.

Jeezy’s Holy Ghost remix featuring Lamar was released earlier this month. It begins with Jakes saying: “I’m under attack, but I’m still on fire. I got some chatter, but I’m still on fire. I got some threat, but I’m still on fire.” His sermon could be seen on YouTube as of Friday afternoon.

Sampling was born out of people rhyming over records in the early days of hip-hop and is a recognized way of taking another artists ideas and spinning it one context, or repurposing it to give it a new context.

“It’s a sound collage, basically, ”said Joseph Schloss, author of Making the Beats: The Art of Sample-Based Hip-Hop. “Notes are an important part of that, but they are not necessarily the base of that.”

But because of this fundamental part of hip-hop, there have been a parade of intellectual property lawsuits directed at artists.

New York label TuffAmerica sued Frank Ocean in February for a Mary J Blige sample he used on Channel Orange track Super Rich Kids. TuffAmerica said it owned 3.15% of Blige’s song Real Love, and could therefore sue for copyright infringement.

In 2006, a judge halted the sale of Notorious Big’s landmark 1994 album Ready to Die after ruling that the title track illegally sampled an Ohio Players song. Copies of the album released since the decision do not include the sample, a regular penalty instilled on artists who face similar suits.

“You can’t be in favor of hip-hop and be against sampling,” said Joseph Schloss, author of Making the Beats: The Art of Sample-Based Hip-Hop. “It’s possible to do hip-hop without sampling but the idea of sampling is very central to hip-hop.”

The Holy Ghost remix has been removed from SoundCloud, though it can still be heard on World Star Hip Hop.

Def Jam, which represents Jeezy, and Interscope, which represents Lamar, did not respond to requests for comment.