Lady Gaga Does Her Part For Japan Earthquake Relief
Japan earthquake: How you can help
After the fifth largest earthquake in history struck Japan Friday, many Americans have been eager to help -- but donations can be tricky, particularly in the earliest phase of the recovery effort.
Despite the massive destruction seen in Tokyo and the surrounding area, "at this stage it's very difficult to say the extent of the need," said Andrea Koppel, a spokeswoman from the American Red Cross.
Daniel Borochoff, president of the American Institute of Philanthropy, advises those ready to make donations to "wait and see how the situation develops and step forward when clear charitable needs arise."
An immediate response is not necessarily best, he says. "It's ok to get assessments on the situation and then send contributions."
For those who intend to help victims of the 8.9-magnitude quake, experts advise following these guidelines in the days ahead:
Who to give to
Patrick Rooney, executive director of the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University, recommends giving to reputable aid organizations, like the Red Cross and Save the Children, because those organizations already have a presence in the impacted area and their response will likely be faster and more efficient than other organizations that are not on the ground."They have the experience and infrastructure necessary to provide help," he said.
The Japanese Red Cross has already deployed 900 rescue workers to the affected region today and the American Red Cross has emergency responders on standby, Koppel added.
What to give
"Give money, not food, water and clothes," Rooney advised. "There's a much higher shipping cost for supplies and it's easier for disaster organizations to get cash and use it as they need to."In addition, it can be difficult to determine what supplies will be most needed, particularly in the early stages of a recovery effort, and in the case of Japan, there are many supplies already on hand.
Currently, a Red Cross warehouse in Malaysia is fully stocked with enough relief supplies to aid 5,000 families, according to Koppel.
What to avoid
Unfortunately, an influx of websites that are not legitimate often crop up in the wake of natural disasters, soliciting for charitable donations to aid victims."I guarantee websites pop up in the next 24 hours that are likely to be fraudulent," Rooney said.
Japan earthquake: How you can help
After a devastating earthquake rocked Japan, spawning a deadly tsunami (above, an aerial view of debris in Hitachinaka), many people want to give to relief efforts.NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- After the fifth largest earthquake in history struck Japan Friday, many Americans have been eager to help -- but donations can be tricky, particularly in the earliest phase of the recovery effort.
Despite the massive destruction seen in Tokyo and the surrounding area, "at this stage it's very difficult to say the extent of the need," said Andrea Koppel, a spokeswoman from the American Red Cross.
An immediate response is not necessarily best, he says. "It's ok to get assessments on the situation and then send contributions."
For those who intend to help victims of the 8.9-magnitude quake, experts advise following these guidelines in the days ahead:
Who to give to
Patrick Rooney, executive director of the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University, recommends giving to reputable aid organizations, like the Red Cross and Save the Children, because those organizations already have a presence in the impacted area and their response will likely be faster and more efficient than other organizations that are not on the ground."They have the experience and infrastructure necessary to provide help," he said.
The Japanese Red Cross has already deployed 900 rescue workers to the affected region today and the American Red Cross has emergency responders on standby, Koppel added.
What to give
"Give money, not food, water and clothes," Rooney advised. "There's a much higher shipping cost for supplies and it's easier for disaster organizations to get cash and use it as they need to."In addition, it can be difficult to determine what supplies will be most needed, particularly in the early stages of a recovery effort, and in the case of Japan, there are many supplies already on hand.
Currently, a Red Cross warehouse in Malaysia is fully stocked with enough relief supplies to aid 5,000 families, according to Koppel.
What to avoid
Unfortunately, an influx of websites that are not legitimate often crop up in the wake of natural disasters, soliciting for charitable donations to aid victims."I guarantee websites pop up in the next 24 hours that are likely to be fraudulent," Rooney said.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation advises donors not to respond to any unsolicited incoming emails, but rather go directly to recognized charities and aid organization's websites, as opposed to following a link to another site. Before donating, also verify the legitimacy of the nonprofit organizations as well as its nonprofit status.
And be leery of emails claiming to show pictures of the disaster areas in attached files, because those files can contain viruses, the FBI cautioned.
Charity solicitations that seem suspicious can be reported to the National Center for Disaster Fraud; complaints can also be filed with the Internet Crime Complaint Center. 
President Clinton Teams With Rapper Drake For Fundraiser
Former President Bill Clinton will host a
President Clinton, Drake, director Brett Ratner, actor Jamie
Funds raised during the evening will benefit The Clinton Foundation's Millennium Network, which encourages young students and activists under the age of 45 to get involved with the work of The Clinton Foundation, to address global challenges like
The event, which is also open to the general public, takes place at Boulevard3 on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood from 7:00PM-10:00PM and is sponsored by Diageo.
President Clinton will open the fundraiser with opening remarks, Drake will close the event out with a performance and DJ Brent Bolthouse will provide the sounds during the evening.
Cops Raid Charlie's House After Alarming Call
Law enforcement sources tell us ... cops raided Charlie Sheen's house after receiving a call earlier today that Charlie threatened to harm himself with a firearm.
Under the restraining order obtained by Brooke Mueller, Charlie is prohibited from possessing weapons.
Cops are inside the house right now, searching for firearms and ammunition.
And law enforcement tell us cops are not trying to place Charlie on a 5150 psychiatric hold.
Charlie, his
We are told the LAPD has been conducting several investigations involving Charlie, including the possible violation of the TRO.
18 charged in the gang rape of an 11-year-old girl in a mobile home over Thanksgiving
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
At least 18 men and boys have been charged in connection with the gang rape of an 11-year-old girl.. The suspects, aged between 14 and 27, are accused of taking part in the rape last Thanksgiving in an abandoned mobile home in Cleveland, Texas. Investigators confiscated mobilephones from some of the suspects, after it emerged videos of the alleged incident were circulated aroundschools , court documents showed. A friend of the alleged victim alerted school officials December 1 after recognising her friend engaged in sexual acts in a video.
It is alleged that the victim was invited to join one of the suspects in a mobile home, before other men were invited in, including a relative of the man who owned the mobile home. The sixth-grade victim has since been withdrawn from school. She has apparently told investigators that up to 20 men were involved in the alleged rape.
The victim is thought to have been taken away from her mother and relatives and put into protective care for her own safety. Speaking to the Houston Chronicle, the alleged victim’s mother said she had been advised to move from the area due to the pressure of the trial. Sherry Fletcher, whose 20-year-old son Devo Shaun Green is among those charged, spoke to the network about her son’s arrest.
She said: ‘It just seems like a dream. ‘I just hope everything comes out well, because some of these kids are innocent.’ On Friday, Cleveland police announced that four students in the school district had been arrested on charges of aggravated sexual assault of a child under 14.
Cleveland school authorities say those arrested included an 11th-grader, 10th-grader, ninth-grader and a middle school student. The arrests include two players on Cleveland’s state-ranked basketball team. Due to the sheer number of arrests, the case has divided the community, with local people not sure who will be arrested next.
Police have stressed that the investigation is ongoing and have not ruled out further breakthroughs and more arrests before the case comes to trial. Some of those charged are from local Cleveland high school, while all 18 are understood to be from the town.