GARDEN CITY, N.Y. – Justin Bieber has agreed to record a public service announcement on cyberbullying in order to resolve misdemeanor charges filed against one of his managers and a record executive after a frenzy at a New York mall.

The case stemmed from an incident in 2009, when thousands of unruly girls turned up at a clothing store on Long Island to see the teen pop star sign autographs.

Bieber manager Scott Bruan and Def Jam Records executive James Roppo were charged after police said they refused to help disperse the crowd.

Prosecutors told a judge Friday that they are dropping those charges. The record company and a management company pleaded guilty to fire code violations.

Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice tells Newsday that having Bieber educate kids about bullying is “invaluable.”

Two Montana lawmakers seek class action<br>against ‘Three Cups of Tea’ author

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HELENA, Mont. — Two Montana lawmakers are trying to start a class-action lawsuit against author Greg Mortenson, claiming they were duped into buying Mortenson’s best-selling book and donating to his charity based on lies they thought were true.

The claim filed Thursday in federal court in Missoula is the latest fallout from reports by “60 Minutes” and author Jon Krakauer last month that alleged that Mortenson lied in “Three Cups of Tea” about how he became involved in building schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan. The reports also questioned whether Mortenson financially benefited from his charity, Central Asia Institute, and whether CAI built the number of schools it claimed.

The complaint alleges Mortenson and CAI induced state Rep. Michele Reinhart of Missoula to buy the book and Rep. Jean Price of Great Falls to donate to the charity. Reinhart and Price claim Mortenson and the charity engaged in fraud, deceit, breach of contract and racketeering under a statute normally used for prosecuting mobsters.

The Democratic legislators say the lawsuit potentially could be joined by millions of people who bought Mortenson’s books, heard his speeches or donated to his charity.

“They purchased the book because of his heart-wrenching story, which he said was true,” said Great Falls attorney Alexander Blewett, who is representing Reinhart and Price. “If people had known all of this was fabricated, they would not have given the money.”

Mortenson was in his Bozeman home awaiting word on whether he could safely undergo surgery to repair a hole in his heart, according to a statement by his doctor posted on the CAI website.

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Anne Beyersdorfer, who is running the charity in Mortenson’s absence, said he has done nothing wrong and he is looking forward to refuting the accusations against him when his health improves.

Mortenson has previously denied any wrongdoing, though he has admitted some of the events in his book were compressed over different periods of time.

Ruth Bourdain spoof wins first Beard award for humor

Ruth Bourdain: acerbic, androgynous, foul-mouthed, totally fictitious and now…? James Beard Foundation winner.

On Friday, the so-called Oscars of the food world honored Ruth Bourdain — the made-up online mash-up of culinary icons Ruth Reichl and Anthony Bourdain — with its first ever award for humor writing.

In some ways the award was a nod not just to the still anonymous man or woman behind the profanely funny spoof of wise-cracking Bourdain and former Gourmet magazine editor-in-chief Reichl. It also recognized the rising power of social media in food. Ruth Bourdain became a sensation during the past year almost exclusively by posting biting 140-character messages (most of them unfit to reprint) on Twitter.

He (or she) did not come forward to accept the award at Friday’s ceremony in New York.

 

 


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