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Published: April 5, 2009
■ Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr are still meditative about their trip to India. The two remaining Beatles shared the stage last night when McCartney headlined Radio City Music Hall. McCartney said at a press conference that the Maharishi had given the band a "great gift." He said it came at a time "when we were looking for something to kind of stabilize us toward the end of the crazy 1960s." Yesterday's concert, called "Change Begins Within," benefits the David Lynch Foundation. The organization's initiative is to teach one million at-risk youths mediation techniques. Besides Starr, McCartney will be joined by Sheryl Crow, Donovan, Eddie Vedder, Ben Harper, Moby, Paul Horn, Bettye LaVette and some surprise guests.
■ In 2004, Tia Shorts was crowned Miss Maryland USA. This week, Montgomery County, Md., police said they had charged her as part of a drug-dealing operation. Beginning Tuesday, police said, detectives staked out a Germantown apartment that had been linked to drug activity. They arrested three people who emerged from the apartment: two brothers and their 67-year-old mother. Inside the apartment, police said, officers found ammunition, marijuana, cash -- and Shorts. Shorts, who lives at the apartment, was charged with conspiracy to possess cocaine with intent to distribute, possession of cocaine and possession of marijuana. Shorts, now 29, was awarded the title of "Miss Congeniality" from her fellow delegates at the 2004 pageant, according to Turn for the Judges, an online news service about beauty pageants.
■ Rapper Coolio has pleaded not guilty to drug possession and battery charges. The 45-year-old Coolio, whose real name is Artis Leon Ivey, entered his plea during an arraignment in Los Angeles on Friday. He was arrested last month at Los Angeles International Airport, and later charged with felony cocaine possession and battery and possession of drug paraphernalia, both misdemeanors. Coolio is alleged to have grabbed a screener's arm to prevent a search of his luggage. He remains free on bail and has been ordered to return to court on April 20.
■ A nanny who was fired by Robert De Niro has sued the actor for more than $40,000 in overtime pay. Alexis Barry says in court papers that she was never paid for more than 750 hours of overtime and never took 10 vacation days. She began working for De Niro and his wife, Grace Hightower, in August 2006, and says she was fired 10 months later -- after she said she was going to quit. The couple have an 11-year-old son. Barry says she is owed more than $40,000. She filed a lawsuit Friday in Manhattan's state Supreme Court. Stan Rosenfield, a spokesman for De Niro, says he can't comment because he hasn't seen the lawsuit.
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